


EVERYTHING BUT MINE

by yeolallineed



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Devil, EXO AU, EXO Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Hell, M/M, Work In Progress, do not read if you're sensitive or get offended easily, exo fiction, one or more exo member(s) maybe a bad guy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-11
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2020-06-26 09:49:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 140,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19765696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeolallineed/pseuds/yeolallineed
Summary: Chanyeol is the Devil.Baekhyun accidentally summons him.Now he must do what he can to send the Devil back where he belongs, Hell.





	1. Chapter 1

_**He came to me like a shadow** _  
_**before the storm** _  
_**and I didn’t even know** _  
_**that I would be the only thing** _  
_**that would end up being destroyed.** _

Baekhyun was, in the most normal sense, ordinary. He had an ordinary life, ordinary friends and he had ordinary relationships, well for most parts of it. If there was anything out of ordinary in his life, it would be the fact that he had never actually fallen in love.

Love was, in Baekhyun’s own words, a temporary inconvenience. Temporary because he believed it never lasted and was laced with a shelf life depending on who would give up first and an inconvenience because he believed love limits people. It limits them from achieving their dreams, their potential and most importantly, it limits their happiness.

It was this particular belief that propelled Baekhyun into the world of expensive champagnes and velvet rope parties. He had no time for love, rather, he had no time he would want to invest on something called love when he could instead spend his time on making money.

Most people who knew Baekhyun were surprised by his zeal. Coming from a worse than poor background, Baekhyun had, in just his mid 20’s, established himself as the owner of one of the top 5 gaming companies in the country, and among the top 20 in the world.

And there was no stopping him.

The intercom buzzed inside of Baekhyun’s lavish office and he pressed onto it.

It was his secretary.

“Everyone’s at the meeting room sir” was the lone sentence that sprung before Baekhyun turned the intercom off. Walking over to the corner of the office, Baekhyun got on his self-balancing hoverboard that he had recently purchased because walking around the office building was too time consuming.

For all the ordinary things Baekhyun had in his life, his office building, one might say, was extraordinary. Baekhyun was very particular on this aspect when he was starting out. He wanted an architectural design that was not only sustainable, but also far, far ahead of its time, both technologically as well as aesthetically. Now Baekhyun did not just own the building he was in, but he also owned the building next to it and five more around. In fact, he owned the entire area that could easily be a mini town if one looked at it. Maintaining a staff of 2300 people and the infrastructure to run his business, was not easy. Each building, an architectural marvel on its own, spanned across the sky to about 20 floors, staffing 20-30 people on each. He obviously, sat in the headquartered office, the very first building he owned.

As Baekhyun walked out of his office and proceeded towards the elevator, he was greeted by his staff with several bows but not a single smile. No one made eye contact with him. Ever.

When he reached the elevator, there were others waiting for it already. As the elevator dinged and the doors opened, everyone else stepped aside, making way for Baekhyun who hovered inside and did not even bother to let anyone else in. Pressing the button to the 7th floor, he let the door close as he descended in peace and silence. Absolute silence.

As Baekhyun was going down, his phone buzzed, giving off one long vibration; the indication of a message. He pulled his phone out and saw it was a message from “Nini”.

> **_NINI: Will I see you tonight?_ **

Baekhyun stared at the screen, wondering if he should cancel. Kai, or “Nini” as he had deliberately saved his name on Baekhyun’s phone was someone he had started seeing fairly recently. . They’d been going out for four months now and Baekhyun liked the fact that he wasn’t clingy like the guys he’d dated previously. Although Baekhyun knew this too wouldn’t last long and Baekhyun would back out the moment he saw Kai was starting to get serious, he also knew that going back to an empty house with nothing exciting to do would be what he usually did and for some reason, Baekhyun was feeling a little rebellious today.

> **_BAEKHYUN: Definitely, I’ll even cook._**

Baekhyun was, as ordinary as they come but one thing that wasn’t ordinary, was his cooking skill. He was, the best to his and a good amount of others’ knowledge, a terrible cook. Despite multiple failed attempts, three burned down dishes and one burned down house, Baekhyun never really gave up because he had never learned to give up. And even though food was his mortal enemy, he had resolved to cross it over to his own side one day.

He believed he would have been a great cook, probably even a professional chef if only life hadn’t thrown mean punches at him.

Life had hit Baekhyun pretty hard when he was a kid. His mother passed away when he was still grasping the unknown wonders of the worlds at a tender age of 15 and as for his father, he never really knew him. From what his mother always told him and from what he could remember from his early years, was only constant bickering, fights and unending arguments until one day, his father finally decided to abandon them.

Since then, Baekhyun’s mother worked on multiple jobs to provide for Baekhyun and herself. She couldn’t really be at home to teach Baekhyun the various things one needed to sustain in life alone. He grew up on food provided to him by this old lady who lived next to their house and didn’t really like people coming into her house.

Baekhyun did not remember much about the old woman who lived next door to him, but he clearly remember the taste of the food she prepared. He still didn’t know if the food was particularly scrumptious because the old lady was an exceptional cook or because he devoured everything because he was usually so famished that all he remembered was cleaning the plates off before washing and sending them back.

To the best of his knowledge, the old lady lived alone, had no kids and no known family. She passed away not long before Baekhyun’s mother and to his utter surprise, she had left him her cookbook. Baekhyun always thought that she must have felt bad that she wouldn’t get to feed him anymore, and so she left Baekhyun her recipes that could help him.

Little did she know that Baekhyun too would get so consumed in his own little life that he would never actually have any use for it.

When Baekhyun’s mother succumbed to cancer after fighting a long, fierce battle, Baekhyun was left with no one. He put himself through school, working part-time at night and attending classes in the morning. He gave up on everything he wanted to get through his education first. His mother always encouraged him to be educated because she herself was not and that limited her options for providing a good life for her son. She didn’t want Baekhyun to have the same fate as her.

Promising his mother that he would make her proud, Baekhyun put himself through hell only to come out as a winner on the other side. By the time he was 21, Baekhyun graduated top of his class and by the time he was 22, the first game he had developed as a part of the college project, sold for $2.7 billion.

Within the next year, Baekhyun had established his own gaming empire, making his company “PreCorYun” the hottest trend in the gaming business.

When Baekhyun stepped out of the elevator, he was met with his secretary, a petite young female whose name was Anne. She stood like a robot with a hot latte in her hand, just the way Baekhyun liked it.

Lifting the cup from her hand, Baekhyun moved forward with Anne trailing after him. He could hear the murmurs and chatters that were echoing from the meeting room that was large enough to hold a banquet reception. Baekhyun almost smiled at how everything would turn silent the moment he stepped in.

Despite everything Baekhyun was and had achieved, he had a bit of a reputation. He was nicknamed “The Devil” among his office staff and also among people outside. The source was his own chosen nickname for the first AR game he created where he went by the name “El Diablo”.

And he was a little devil in all sense. He had created the game in such a manner that it was practically impossible for anyone to reach the final stage. People had spent days trying to breach the final level but it was practically impossible. Baekhyun was the only one who had been able to do that because, well, he was the creator after all.

As expected, a sudden silence prevailed when Baekhyun walked into the meeting room. Everyone stood up and greeted Baekhyun in response to which he just walked over to his seat and sat down, indication that the others could take their seats too.

The people in the meeting room were divided into four categories. No one had actually made the division it was just that the people from the same department preferred sitting with their own team members and it had just come to be that way. There was the Arts team that was responsible for all the designs and presented the first look of what a game would look like. Then there were the Technicians and Engineers who were in charge of everything software related. Then came the Marketing people who did exactly what their department name suggested and finally was the Game Design department who were basically in charge of putting everything together and usually worked with all the departments in unison. There were other departments too but they did not need to be included in the meeting as often as the rest.

Baekhyun picked up the memo for the meeting that was kept in front of him. “Where are we with the _Witch’s Hunt_ game?”

It was not too long back that Baekhyun had come up with the idea of this game, and even he was not sure where he got the idea from. One day he was playing the game that had been recently launched by his company when he suddenly had an epiphany. He wanted to present the idea to his staff but he knew they would praise it even if it was shitty. Thank to him, they had been holding secret ballot system since the inception of the company where every employee who had an idea could present it using a pseudonym of their choice.

When an idea would be chosen in unanimity, the one who had pitched the idea could announce their secret pseudonym to everyone to claim their work which maintained absolute uniformity and no biasness throughout.

Using the same system, Baekhyun had presented his idea using the pseudonym “10 Cold Foil” and when it was chosen by everyone in unison, Baekhyun had announced his pseudonym that matched the one on the paper.

No one was surprised though. Baekhyun was full of such brilliant ideas.

His Idea, Witch’s hunt, was about the user starting out as a hunter, gathering weapons and fighting demons and supernatural creatures. With each level up, the user would gain powers and then turn into a _Wicche_ , then into an _Enchanter_ and finally into _Supreme Spellbinder_. The user would go around saving people from these creatures and gain more weapons and powers. After all these levels, the final levels would be the fight between the Supreme Spellbinder and the Devil himself. To win the game, the user would have to use all their hunting skills and powers to track and send the Devil back to Hell.

It had been a couple of weeks that Baekhyun had pitched this story and the team had started working on it right away. Today was the day Baekhyun would get to see the progress.

The Arts was the first to present. They had done different versions of the graphical representation of the game and were particularly excited to show it to everyone.

Slide after slide, they showed the characters, the variations in the characters, the setup of the scenes, the elements they would like to include, the weapons and finally the creatures they’d thought of.

“Where’s the Devil?” Baekhyun asked when they were done.

Kyungsoo, the Team Leader of the arts team spoke up. “We’re still working on the design and will present it to you by the end of this week”

Baekhyun nodded. “Change the outfits of the characters as well as the background scenes. It’s very Harry Potterish now. Take it back a few centuries and make it medieval”

The team nodded, taking notes. If that was the only thing Baekhyun had to say, it meant that he liked the rest of the things.

The Game Design team went up next to show Baekhyun the kind of animation they had in mind.

A few minutes into the prototype and Baekhyun asked them to stop. “Make it more Pixar Quality than Dreamworks Quality. Alright?”

The Game Design Team nodded and the technicians and engineers made thorough notes on what Baekhyun wanted.

A few other discussions went on about the marketing of the games they had already released and the updates they would be releasing soon along with the bug fixes that would roll out within the next few weeks.

By the end of it, Baekhyun was moderately satisfied with the outcome of the meeting, especially because it didn’t end up with him screaming his lungs out at the incompetency of the departments. The screaming was another reason Baekhyun was so profusely called the Devil because his screams made people’s souls want to leave their bodies.

Baekhyun had thought that he would leave work earlier than usual, in order to prep for the dinner. But work held him back and before he could realize, it was already 7 in the evening.

“Shit” Baekhyun muttered to himself when he saw the time. He had thought of making something special tonight but time was not running in his favour. Pulling his phone out, he decided to text Kai.

> **_BAEKHYUN: Babe, I might have to push the dinner till 10._ **
> 
> **_BAEKHYUN: Is that all right?_ **

Baekhyun did not know what he was expecting. His past experienced had taught him that people liked to get mad over things as silly as a small reschedule or being held up at work or forgetting flowers and birthdays. None of these things mattered to Baekhyun anyway. He was a strong believer of quality of quantity. Baekhyun could spend his entire life with someone and get nothing out of it or he could live an entire life in a few days and be content before moving on to something more exciting. The latter was what Baekhyun held high in regards.

So even if he knew Kai was just a temporary fling, he would go to the world’s end to make sure he was treated like only he mattered in the time that they were together.

Baekhyun often thought that it was perhaps this that made his dates ultimately fall in love with him, but it was never on his head. He made things pretty clear from the beginning that the relationship would be temporary, that he had no intentions of falling in love and that things would end sooner than they realized. So if anyone was still willing to fall in love despite these warnings, it was entirely their fault.

Baekhyun’s phone buzzed. It was Kai.

> **_NINI: No problem babe. I’ll come by at 10._ **

Baekhyun smiled. He liked this one. He really, really, really liked this one.

Reaching home half an hour later, Baekhyun checked that he had approximately two and a half hours before Kai would arrive. He presumed it must be enough time for him to cook something. He just didn’t know how edible it would be.

Horror soon struck when Baekhyun opened his fridge and found… nothing. The fridge was empty because he never really cooked. He soon decided to buy some things, hoping the time would be enough. But for him to get ingredients, he first needed to know what he wanted to make.

He remembered vaguely that Kai loved chicken. Baekhyun could, perhaps make chicken soup followed by fried chicken. He was sure Kai would love those.

Getting on the internet, Baekhyun searched for simple Chicken Soup recipes but he was met with hundreds of links that seemed anything but simple. He hadn’t even heard the names of half the things listed on them. What the fuck even were these things called _celery_ and _parsley_?

“90 fucking minutes?” Baekhyun yelped when he saw the preparation time. “Am I also supposed to catch and kill the bloody chicken?”

Even if he quickly rushed to the store, which was quite far, considering how he had chosen a premium and quiet neighborhood for his residence, it would take him an hour to be back. He would definitely have no time to prepare for anything.

“There has to be another way” Baekhyun muttered to himself.

Suddenly he remembered the old lady from his neighborhood and the countless time he had devoured the chicken soup she had made for him. He then recalled that he still had her cookbook with him somewhere.

Quickly rushing over to the attic, Baekhyun rummaged through things to find the book. Baekhyun really thanked his luck for he did not have many things from back then to search through, because of which the book was found pretty easily.

Brushing off the mounts of dust the book had gathered, Baekhyun took it with him to the kitchen.

He noticed that the book looked older than he had imagined. Almost ancient if anything. The letters that canvassed the cover were in gold, but somehow rusty.

He flipped through a few pages and realized that none of the pages had any titles and most of them contained weird things that he wasn’t even sure could be categorized as food.

He turned a few more pages before he landed on something he thought he recognized. Strangely enough, the book contained more images of the ingredients than actual letters. His eyes then fell to the letters “fifteen minutes” and he exclaimed in joy. This would not only save time but would also ensure that Baekhyun cooked pretty decently considering how everything was so simple. All he needed was one whole medium sized chicken, a few herbs and… “ _Blood?_ ”

Baekhyun repeated the word once more to understand if he was reading the right thing.

“Whose blood?” he further went on to ask and then began laughing.

“Of course chicken blood. Why would one use human blood for chicken soup? Or any soup for that matter?”

Clearing his throat over his own grim thoughts, Baekhyun rushed over to the supermarket to get the herbs and other ingredients and then over to a poultry farm to get a chicken and its blood, which earned him a very weird look by the farm owner.

Even then, Baekhyun did not question anything because he did not know shit about cooking and would probably cook a brick if a presumable _cookbook_ told him to do so.

When Baekhyun reached home after getting everything he needed, he immediately set off to get the work done before Kai could come.

He glanced at the book that was kept in the left corner of the kitchen top.

The first image was of what looked like a cauldron kept on crackling logs of wood. He presumed the book was ancient and they probably did not have pots or stove back then and hence had to make do. Placing a big stockpot on the inducting surface on the counter, Baekhyun began pouring water into it. He had to fill the pot halfway through according to the diagrams.

The next step confused him utterly. He’d had chicken soup multiple times, none of which were his own creations, but he was sure they never involved adding the whole chicken into the boiling water. But who was he to question the wisdom of an old lady who cooked like she could put an end to world hunger.

Without thinking further about it, Baekhyun added the whole chicken into the boiling water. The water simmered down immediately. Next step was to add the herbs so one after the other, he started throwing them into the pan in whatever quantity he thought should be enough because the book did not mention any details about how much would suffice.

Even though the temperature of the induction cooktop way above boiling point, after Baekhyun added the herbs, the water went down to a state of stillness. It was odd and Baekhyun thought the induction was broken but upon checking, he realized that it was functioning properly.

He did not really understand what he was doing so he proceeded further. There was only one thing left. Adding the chicken blood. Although a little grossed out by it, Baekhyun still did not question the oddity of the situation. Somehow, to his mind, it all made sense. He felt like adding the blood would bring his soup to its finality.

Taking a deep breath, Baekhyun poured the entire bowl of blood he had scored with a look of suspicion from the farm owner.

The moment the blood dropped into the stockpot, the water started rising up to a boil.

It was oddly satisfying to watch for some reason and Baekhyun marveled in the glory of what he thought was a successful cooking session. But the water kept on rising until it reached the edges of the pot.

Afraid that it might spill, Baekhyun turned the induction off, but to his surprise, despite no heat being supplied to the pot, the water, mixed with blood, kept rising until it started to drip from the edges.

Baekhyun rushed to find a piece of cloth to wipe of the spilled _soup_ as it was beginning to make a mess. Picking up a cloth from one of the kitchen drawers, Baekhyun turned towards the pot and began cleaning the surface. The said _soup_ was still spilling and Baekhyun reached for the edges of the pot. In an attempt to clean the edges, a drop of hot liquid, from the wretched mixture that Baekhyun had concocted, fell on his finger, making direct contact with his skin.

The moment the contact was established, a loud bang crashed through the air that almost sounded like the thunder roaring from the sky.

He wondered if it was about to rain. With this thought in his head, Baekhyun swerved to his right to keep the cloth in the kitchen sink when his heart stopped and his breathing hitched.

Instinctively, he picked up a knife from his right and held it against the human like _thing_ who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere and was now staring at him with a strange look on his face.

“Who the fuck are you? And how the fuck did you get into my house?”

What scared Baekhyun was not the fact that the _thing_ was a stranger and that he had somehow managed to get into Baekhyun’s house and would probably murder him. What actually scared Baekhyun was the fact that the _thing_ had no skin. It was all red, like the color of blood. It was as if someone had turned his skin inside out.

The odd creature still remained unmoved and unable to take his eyes off of Baekhyun and it scared the latter even more.

“Answer me before I call the police” Baekhyun said, taking his phone out using his free hand. “Who are you and how did you get in?”

“I am the Devil” the _thing_ said in absolute shock. “How the fuck did you summon me from Hell?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IDK where I am going with this!  
> 


	2. Chapter 2

****_Of all the scars that you have left me with  
_ ** ** ****_your love still hurts the most  
_ ** ** ****_for in love, I broke down my walls  
_ ** ** ****_and you walked in with promises  
_ ** ** ******_only to leave me more broken than before._ **

Baekhyun was proud of many things in his life. He was proud of the life he had made for himself, the company he had started from bottom up, the house he lived in and to a certain extent the people he dated too, no matter how temporary. His life had been a series of good decisions, one after the other. People were in awe of how collected his thoughts were, how efficient he was when it came to smart thinking and how nonchalant he was about the thing that didn’t affect him at all.

But most of all, Baekhyun was proud of the fact that he was, to the best of his knowledge, the most rational person he knew. He was logical, calculative, a risk taker no doubt but the risks he took, evolved from his ability to assess what was profitable and what was not. And he had not failed even once so far. It was because of this particular strong sense of rationality and logical judgments, that there was no way in hell that Baekhyun was going to believe the shit this _thing_ was trying to pull.

Baekhyun stared at the creature with his gaped mouth. How was this… _thing_ … so okay with being skinned alive? Why was he not in pain? Why was he not screaming like Baekhyun’s insides were at the moment?

For a minute Baekhyun thought he must be asleep, that this was a nightmare. He tried to pinch himself but the burst of pain from his arm told him that he was, very starkly, awake.

Baekhyun tried to calm down and think. He knew there was a logical explanation to this. Maybe this _thing_ was an alien?

“Fuck” he bellowed so suddenly that took even the Devil by surprise. “I have brain tumor, don’t I? You’re a hallucination. No wait… I know. These are early signs of schizophrenia”

He then started laughing. “I am finally going mad, aren’t I?”

The Devil blinked. “This is not a hallucination, but I can’t comment on the tumor, schizophrenia or the mad part”

In the very next instant, the Devil drew his hands up and snapped his fingers to prove he was not a hallucination.

Baekhyun stared as he suddenly transformed into a more human-like version.

What stood before Baekhyun was no longer the bloody figurine that had exposed nerves, muscles and tendons. The _thing_ now looked like a human. A freakishly tall and a very naked human. With giant ears, among other things Baekhyun did not want to think about.

Baekhyun wanted to laugh, to scream and to perhaps pull his hair out. How was any of this even possible?

He took a deep breath and decided to think of other possible explanations of why this _whatever_ was here.

If he was there to kill Baekhyun, wouldn’t he have done it already? The element of surprise was a pretty vulnerable moment for the _thing_ to kill Baekhyun if that were his intentions.

He could be a burglar, but why was he standing there arguing with Baekhyun instead?

And then it hit Baekhyun. “Did Kyungsoo send you?”

That must have been it. His Arts Team Leader had a flair for drama. The last time they were working on a fantasy game, Kyungoo sent some extremely hot guy dressed as Legolas to prove to Baekhyun why they needed to make all elves look as hot as Legolas himself. Now that he was in charge of designing the Devil, of course he would send someone that looked like an actual Devil.

“He did, didn’t he?”

The Devil scrunched his eyebrows. “What is this Kyungsoo that you speak of? Is it also a human?”

“What?” Baekhyun asked in confusion before pulling his phone out and dialing Kyungsoo’s number.

“Hello?” Kyungsoo said after picking up.

“Soo what did you do?” Baekhyun asked.

“I am sorry” Kyungsoo immediately confessed.

“You stupid fool this scared the shit out of me. Take him away right now”

“What?” Kyungsoo asked. “What are you talking about?”

“The thing you’re sorry for Soo. Sort the shit out”

“Fine I will stop using employee discounts where they don’t apply”

“What the fuck are you talking about Soo?”

“Isn’t that why you called me?”

Baekhyun shook his head in disappointment. "No I called about the man you sent dressed up as the Devil. Take him away or ask him to leave”

There was a long silence.

“Baekhyun….” Kyungsoo said after a few seconds. “I… I didn’t send anyone”

Baekhyun raised his eyes up to the creature standing in front of him.

“What the fuck?”

Baekhyun did not know how much time had passed since the phone call. It seemed like an eternity when it could easily have been just a few seconds. Time was funny and awfully relative in times such as this. An entire year would pass in the blink of an eye before you even released it or every second would feel like a year especially when you felt like a ticking bomb that was ready to explode.

That’s how Baekhyun felt. Like a ticking bomb. Except, he felt that he was on the receiving end of it while the remote lay in someone else’s hand. He silently waited for the _thing_ to make his move, whatever it was and each second of the unknown, was killing Baekhyun from the inside.

The fear crawling within Baekhyun must have become very evident on his face because the Devil seemed to notice it too.

“I am not here to hurt you” he said passively. “I have no interest in measly humans”

Baekhyun heard and registered each word. “Why are you here then?” he asked in a low voice.

“You summoned me and I would very much like to know how. No normal human has ever been able to summon me before”

Baekhyun had no idea what he was talking about. Summon? How could he summon anyone to appear so suddenly out of thin air, and the devil at that? The mere idea of this was idiotic.

“I didn’t summon you” Baekhyun said frustratingly. “All I did was make chicken soup”

He let his eyes drift to the book kept not very far from the Devil.

“The book” Baekhyun whispered as a sudden sense of horrifying realization struck him. He reached out and pulled the book to him and slipped all the way back to the first page. Baekhyun had skipped reading the first one in an attempt to quickly find a recipe for his soup and when he turned the page, he realized that he should have read it.

The first page which looked ragged and old like time was leaking through it, contained a few more words than the cover. Under the replication of the words “ ** ** _Book of Necessities_**** ” were the words “ ** ** _An Explicit Guide to Forbidden Spells_**** ”

When he read the words, Baekhyun screamed in his mind for two reasons. First because this seemed like he was trapped in a dream from which he was unable to wake up and second because why the fuck would anyone make an explicit guide to spells that are forbidden? That was just stupid!

His eyes darted from the book in his hand to the apparent Devil standing in front of him. Did he actually summon Satan himself? Straight from hell?

The Devil noticed Baekhyun’s apprehension and pulled the book from him. His eyes widened when he scanned the pile of old pages bound together.

“Where did you find it?”

Baekhyun noticed that there was an urgency in his voice. “It was given to me” he said.

“By whom?”

“I don’t know” Baekhyun retaliated. “Some old woman who lived near my house when I was a kid”

The Devil looked at him with keen, amusing eyes. “Even with this book, you shouldn’t have been able to summon me boy”

Baekhyun was about to say something when the doorbell rang.

Both their heads turned towards the main door.

“Fuck” Baekhyun announced, looking at the time. Kai was earlier than Baekhyun had expected him to come. He then looked at the Devil standing in front of him.

“Fuck” he said again.

The doorbell rang once more.

“Answer it” the Devil said.

“I can’t” Baekhyun muttered, taking the book away from the Devil and stacking it in one of the shelves under the kitchen sink.

“Why?”

“Well first off, because… you’re here. And secondly because you’re…” Baekhyun sighed, “… naked, in case you didn’t notice”

The Devil’s eyes travelled down south and he realized he indeed was naked. Things like that hardly mattered in hell so he hadn’t even bothered covering himself up.

Snapping his fingers, the Devil stood there, particularly pleased by himself that producing clothes out of nothing was as easy as blinking for him.

“What the fuck are you wearing?” Baekhyun asked, looking at the Devil in shock.

“What?” he asked back looking at himself. “It’s the latest fashion”

“Yeah…” Baekhyun answered. “… for 6th century. When was the last time you even came to earth?”

Baekhyun could not believe he was actually saying these words out loud. If anyone heard him, they’d definitely think he was crazy.

The Devil blinked at his question. “In the 6th century” he answered, wondering how Baekhyun made such an accurate guess.

“Just…” Baekhyun hissed pointing to the stairs, “… go to the room on the first left up there and find something decent to wear and stay there. Do not come down”

The bell rang for a third time. “Baekhyun… are you inside?” Kai’s voice called out faintly.

Baekhyun turned his head towards the door for a split second when the Devil snapped his fingers and vanished.

Baekhyun stared at blank space before he remembered that Kai was at the door and immediately rushed towards him.

When Baekhyun opened the door, he found Kai looking breathtakingly gorgeous. He was wearing navy blue jeans with a dark grey t-shirt topped with a black blazer. His hair was set to a point of perfection and the round thin-framed glasses he was wearing, made him look adorable.

“Hey beautiful” Baekhyun said, leaning in for a soft peck on his lips which Kai returned with a smile.

“I thought you weren’t home” Kai said after the brief kiss.

“Ah” Baekhyun exhaled. “I was cooking and didn’t hear the bell”

Kai nodded, seemingly content with the answer.

“I am sorry I had to reschedule”

“You don’t have to be sorry about it babe” Kai said softly. “I know how busy you are. I should be sorry for having you work overtime after office”

Baekhyun smiled and led him inside the house.

“What’s for din…” Kai asked walking in but suddenly stopped. “Who’s that?”

Baekhyun followed Kai’s eyes and a wave of uneasiness ran through him.

Standing in the middle of the hall, in clothes that were obviously too short for him, was the Devil himself.

“Hi” the Devil said. “I’m…”

“He’s a friend from college” Baekhyun interrupted before the Devil could out himself.

Kai turned towards the evil entity and smiled. “You have really good looking friends from college Baekhyun, should I be worried?”

Baekhyun scoffed. Obviously Kai would think the Devil was good looking in his decoy human-suit when he had not seen what the Devil actually looked like without it. Not that he ever would, if things went according to Baekhyun’s plan.

The Devil noticed Baekhyun’s scoff and turned towards Kai. “You should not be worried” he said with a mischievous smile. “I do not swing the way you boys do”

“Straight and sassy” Kai exclaimed. “That’s a combination you don’t see everyday”

Baekhyun gave out a nervous laugh. “Why don’t you sit down? I’ll get you something to drink. Is wine okay?”

Kai nodded, so did the Devil. “Red for me” the latter said and Baekhyun muttered something under his breath before he walked over to the Devil.

“Why don’t you come help me?” Baekhyun suggested, pulling the Devil by his arm, out of the porch and into the cellar.

Once down in the wine cellar, Baekhyun turned towards the Devil. “When are you going back to wherever you came from?”

“Hell” the Devil said. “I have come from hell”

“Sure. Whatever. So when are you going back?”

“Do you think I haven’t tried?”

Baekhyun breathed in. This impossible situation was getting more and more complicated with each passing second.

“Snap your fingers or something and just leave”

The Devil rolled his eyes and pulled his hand up. He snapped his fingers and the moment he did, he vanished.

“Yes” Baekhyun rejoiced. But his happiness didn’t last long. Before he could revel in the moment of the Devil’s disappearance, the latter came back.

“What the fuck?” Baekhyun asked when he saw the Devil appearing in front of him again. “Why did you come back?”

“Because I don’t go back to hell when I snap my fingers. For some reason I end up in purgatory”

“Then stay there” Baekhyun yelled.

The Devil was beginning to lose his patience and the fact that this mere human was not complying was annoying him very much.

“Very well” the Devil said, holding Baekhyun’s hand.

“What are you do…” Baekhyun began asking but before he could, the Devil snapped his fingers again.

Suddenly they vanished from the cellar and landed somewhere dark and grim.

Baekhyun looked around but the darkness was so consuming that he couldn’t even see his own hands.

“Where did you bring me?” Baekhyun asked in a shaking voice. Whatever the place wash, it felt like the somewhere everything good went to die. There was literally nothing there. It was just an ocean of unending nothingness and that was what scared Baekhyun the most. He felt the hair on the back of his neck rise. For some reason, the darkness made him feel like he was being watched. And yet, he couldn’t see anything himself.

“This is purgatory” the Devil said and Baekhyun turned to find him but nothing was visible. He could only assume where the Devil was based on the echoes of his voice.

“Take me back” Baekhyun breathed heavily. “Please” he suddenly added and before he knew, they were back in his cellar.

“Do you still want me to stay there until I reach hell when you couldn’t stand being there for even a minute?”

Baekhyun closed his eyes for a moment, breathing in the familiar air around him.

“I am a human. You’re the Devil. What do you have to be afraid of?”

“Even the gods who created it are so afraid of the deep void that they have left it abandoned or millions of years. Do you know why?”

Baekhyun had no idea.

“Stay there for too long and you lose the meaning of your existence”

Staring at the Devil’s face in that instant, made Baekhyun feel sorry for him a little. He looked scared of not being able to go back where he belonged. Much like what Baekhyun had left when he lost his mother and realized that he did not even have a home to go to anymore.

He never thought that in a millions years, that there would come a time when he would empathize with the Devil.

“Fine” Baekhyun said. “We’ll figure out a way to send you back. Can’t you stay somewhere else until then?”

The Devil shook his head.

“I am bound to you for some reason”

“What?” Baekhyun asked, exasperated. “Why?”

The Devil shrugged. He did not have any clue either.

Squirming his eyes, he looked at Baekhyun from head to toe. “What are you exactly?”

Baekhyun had no time for this Q&A session they were having. Kai was waiting for him in the house and he would soon start to get suspicious.

Shaking his head, he walked over to where he kept his rare wine collection. Baekhyun knew Kai liked white wine so he picked up the bottle of great vintage Château d'Yquem 1811.

“Take whatever you want” Baekhyun instructed to the Devil and the latter slowly walked over to the red wine section. He scanned the bottles quickly before picking up Cheval Blanc 1947 Saint-Emilion.

When Baekhyun saw him pick the bottle up, he gasped. He had bought that in an auction in San Antonio last year. It was more expensive that the white wine Baekhyun was holding in his hand.

“Let’s go” the Devil said but Baekhyun couldn’t take the Cheval Blanc 1947 Saint-Emilion out of his mind. He felt like his insides were crying from the wine being wasted on the Devil.

“The Devil” Baekhyun whispered slowly, coming to a realization.

“Oi” he called out and the Devil turned around from the stairs he had mounted, beginning to leave.

“Did you just ‘oi’ me? Me? The Devil?

Baekhyun shrugged. “We need a name for you to keep you blended like a human until you go back to your “HELL””, Baekhyun said, air-quoting the last word.

“”HELL”” the Devil said, imitating Baekhyun, is not a fictional place. It exists and I am the proof”

Baekhyun did not have time for these petty details.

“How about we call you Toben?”

“What is that? The name of a poodle? Do I look like tiny animal to you?”

“You’re feisty for sure” Baekhyun muttered under his breath.

“I actually have a name” the Devil said, clearing his throat.

Baekhyun blinked in surprise. “You do?”

The Devil nodded. “It was a name given to me centuries ago before I became the Devil.”

“What is it?” Baekhyun was getting curious by the second.

“….” The Devil whispered something softly which was inaudible to Baekhyun.

“What?”

“Chanyeol okay. My name was Chanyeol”

The moment the Devil said that, he looked a little embarrassed and Baekhyun burst out laughing.

“How…” he tried to speak among his giggles. “How does a thing like you have such a cute name?”

Baekhyun really couldn’t control his laughs. He continued to laugh, so much so that he had to lie down from his stomach hurting really bad.

“Shut up” the Devil, aka Chanyeol expressed in frustration. “My name is not cute”

Baekhyun managed to get up after all his uncontrolled hoots. But he still had a huge smile on his face and it was starting to make Chanyeol angry.

“Let’s get back” Baekhyun announced running up to the stairs and running past Chanyeol to get back to Kai.

“What took you so long?” Kai asked when Baekhyun resurfaced, with Chanyeol trailing behind shortly.

“Couldn’t find this bottle” Baekhyun said, handing it over to Kai.

Kai’s eyes widened as he looked at the white wine. “Did you… did you really get me a Château d'Yquem 1811?”

Baekhyun smiled.

“But… but it’s so expensive?”

“Nothing but the best for you babe” Baekhyun said, pulling two wine glasses out.

He then turned around to look at the Devil who was still fuming.

“Chanyeol” Baekhyun said but couldn’t control the chuckle that accompanied it. “Get yourself a glass from there and go to your room”

Chanyeol looked at Baekhyun.

“What am I supposed to do there?” he asked, controlling his anger.

“I don’t care” Baekhyun said. “Just get the fuck out”

Chanyeol was left flabbergasted. He had been putting up with this human’s act for a long time now and it was time to show him what he actually was.

In the split of a second, he smiled deviously and suddenly and time stopped for everyone but him and Baekhyun.

Before Baekhyun could ask what he had done, Chanyeol snapped his finger and they were transported to a place that was surrounded with nothing but fire.

Baekhyun looked around and knew that they were not in his living room anymore. Everything from the walls to the floor in that place was ablaze. What he saw next rendered his senses numb. Baekhyun saw people screaming endlessly in pain. They were not the normal wails that people let out when they were hurt. They were screams, actual screams like they were being burned alive. And they actually were. He saw people running from something big and monstrous that devoured anyone it could find. He saw people being tortured and punished incessantly. And he saw people being killed only to come back to life and then being killed again and it all went on and on.

Baekhyun closed his eyes to the horrors he was witnessing. “Stop” he yelled through all the screams that pierced his ears.

“Stop it” he said again and the Devil snapped his fingers once more before they were back in the living room like they had never left.

“Don’t you dare speak to me like I am your slave, boy” Chanyeol said with a strong sense of threat in his voice that almost sounded like a promise. “That was just a glimpse of hell.” He continued. “Order me around again and by the time I will be done with you, hell will course through your veins every day until hell is the only thing you remember”

“Baekhyun?” a voice faintly called out. “Baekhyun are you okay?”

Baekhyun blinked until his senses returned to him one after the other. It was Kai calling him.

“Are you okay?” he asked again.

“What happened?” Baekhyun suddenly asked feeling a sudden chill throughout his body. If what he had seen was just a glimpse of hell, he would never want to actually see it, ever.

“Nothing” Kai replied, shaking his head. “You were asking your friend to go to his room then you zoned out suddenly”

Baekhyun was about to reply when Chanyeol spoke up.

“I’ll be upstairs if you need me” he announced softly before slowly walking up the stairs.

Baekhyun’s mind wasn’t working anymore. In less than an hour, his life had turned upside down and he did not know what to do about it.

But then he remembered that he had a more pressing matter at hand. Dinner. And he had nothing to serve.

“Shit” he cried. “I forgot that I ruined the food. I don’t have anything for dinner”

Kai laughed and pulled his phone out. “I will take care of it.”

He called his favorite chicken place.

“Yeah hi” he said into his phone. “I’d like to order two portions of fried chicken and a large chicken barbeque pizza”

Kai was still giving out details when something in Baekhyun’s mind nudged him to interrupt him.

“Make it 3 chicken and 2 pizzas” he said, remembering there was another person in the house now. He wasn’t sure why he cared or if the Devil ever got hungry but it would be better to be safe than sorry. In case he didn’t want to eat it, Baekhyun could give it to the kids next door who loved him and his games, even if their parents didn’t as much.

After placing the order, Kai turned to Baekhyun and started talking about his work. Kai was a history professor at a university which had shocked even Baekhyun when he had first found out.

They had met by chance on a fateful Sunday at the coffee shop Baekhyun often goes to and the part-timer working there had gotten their drinks mixed up. That was the first time they’d met and instantly clicked. Baekhyun ended up spending a good amount of 4 hours with Kai in the café, talking about random stuff.

That’s when he had told Baekhyun that he was a professor of History and Baekhyun remembered he had asked Kai what his age was to which the latter laughed.

Turned out, Kai was the top of his class when he had completed his graduation 3 years ago and the university had hired him immediately because of his performance. Both Kai and Baekhyun were very relieved to find out that they were almost of the same age.

Of all the people Baekhyun had dated, Kai was a pleasant surprise. He was intelligent, drop-dead gorgeous, generous, kind but most importantly, simple. Baekhyun did not like complicated things and people. Thing were pretty complicated on the work front. After all, you can’t raise a multi-billion dollar company by being simple. There were politics, games, diplomacy sometimes deceit, all which Baekhyun had learned about the hard way. But after all of these complicacies, was Kai. He was, in the most uncomplicated way, a breath of fresh air. He never fussed of things people normally do. He tried to understand the situation Baekhyun was in and in all the time they had dated, they hadn’t had one argument. Baekhyun liked that very much. But it also made him wonder how long it would continue.

Baekhyun knew relationships are not made of just rainbows and sunshine. Like he always believed, they came with a shelf life. Sooner or later, he knew either he or Kai would snap and things would start getting ugly. Either that or Kai would fall in love with him and he would have to back out.

It wasn’t that Baekhyun was overconfident about himself; it was more of something he had learned from experience. It was human nature to chase after something they can’t have. Baekhyun was the same. But for the people Baekhyun dated, _he_ was the unattainable possession everyone wanted to claim. And the more he backed off, the more they clung.

And the reason he thought of Kai as something absolutely fresh and new was because despite dating for 4 months, Kai had not once, even in drunken mistake, let it slip that he loved Baekhyun. As long as it stayed the same, Baekhyun would go to the world’s end with him.

To anyone looking at their relation from outside, this did not make sense and they questioned Baekhyun’s judgment. How was it that a man who was ready to give one man all he had, was not ready to give the one thing people desired most, love?

But to Baekhyun, it made complete sense. Love was, unlike what most people think, not a line drawn in 2 dimensions where two people standing on the opposite sides met in the middle and everything was happy in wonderland. Love was more 3 dimensional. It came with expectations, with fear, with sense of possessiveness. It came with disappointments, heartbreaks, issues. Love came, like he had always believed, with limitations.

Baekhyun had grown up in a house that was a living proof of this. The constant fights and arguments that he remembered were always about his father blaming his mother for making him settle down in a family instead of letting him chase his dreams. He remembered how his father had grown to loathe his mother and him because of this. So much so that he had decided to abandon his wife, without thinking how she would take care of herself and her 5 year old son. He could never do the same to anyone. He could never live with himself knowing that there was someone who hated him like his father hated his mother.

The memories of his childhood were etched in his mind and so Baekhyun had long back decided that he would always choose to be in a relationship that guaranteed freedom and did not keep him bound to his feet at one place. As long as there was no love, it was all fine.

And the sole reason he liked Kai was because in all these 4 months, he had never seen him behave in a way that would make Baekhyun worried. They did not talk on the phone every day, but that was fine. They met twice or thrice in a week, which was perfect. The sex was pretty good and Baekhyun smiled more when he was with Kai. It was solely because he felt like he could breathe and the relationship wasn’t suffocating him.

Baekhyun smiled as Kai cutely explained how a student was trying to flirt with him during class and Baekhyun teased him saying he was free to go for it. Kai rolled his eyes and told him that it was against the university rules and Baekhyun knew how responsible Kai was when it came to his work and ethics so he did not push it further.

Before they realized, the doorbell rang again and Baekhyun got up to receive the food. As soon as he opened the door, Kai emerged and wrapped his arms around Baekhyun, swirling him around and pushing him back into the house.

He took his wallet out and began paying when Baekhyun protested.

“This was my treat. Let me pay”

“You can treat me in other ways” Kai winked and the delivery boy smiled at the two of them.

“He’s cute, isn’t he?” Kai asked the delivery boy as the latter looked at Baekhyun and nodded slightly, making Baekhyun stare at both of them in astonishment.

“Too bad he’s mine” Kai exclaimed before taking the food and shutting the door behind him.

“What was that for?” Baekhyun asked once they were inside. Was this the red flag he had been waiting for? The sign of possessiveness that had never surfaced before? Baekhyun had to admit he was a little worried, especially because Kai was the most sensible guy he had ever been with.

Kai opened his mouth and Baekhyun thought he would answer but instead he yelled.

“Chanyeol” Kai shouted. “The food’s here”

He opened the pizza box and the box of fried chicken. “I presume the extra portion was for your friend?”

Baekhyun nodded. “But he can always eat later”

“Nonsense. The food’s hot so it’s best if he eats now”

“Oi Chanyeol, come down while the food is still edible” Kai screamed.

In no time, a very sulky Devil descended down the stairs. He quietly walked over and sat down on the couch next to Kai as the latter handed him over a piece of fried chicken.

“Do you like chicken?” he asked as Chanyeol took the piece from him and sniffed like a canine set loose to detect drugs.

“I like everything” he said in an angry tone.

Kai laughed. “You’re cute” he said with a chuckle.

“I AM NOT CUTE” Chanyeol roared and simultaneously, a streak of lightning and thunder cracked across the sky.

Chills ran down Baekhyun’s spine. He had never truly been scared of anything in his life. That is until now. Chanyeol scared the fuck out of him and he wished for him to be gone as soon as possible.

“Fine” Kai said, still smiling. “Eat”

Chanyeol complied immediately because despite his anger, he was still famished.

Somewhere through dinner, Kai started talking about some archeological dig up he was asked to serve assistance for. He was a History major with a minor in Archeology as they both went hand in hand.

“It was beautiful Baekhyun” Kai said. “You should have seen it. You know the most interesting part?”

Baekhyun shook his head in full enthusiasm.

“Some of the items seemed to be missing from the site. Like they had been taken out and whoever did that, left the site intact”

“Who would even do that?” Baekhyun asked and Kai shrugged.

“Isn’t it just wonderful though? Finding a site dating back to 407 AD? And the findings show that it belonged to a supposed witch called Tamsin who was burned at the stake during that time”

Baekhyun was about to agree when Chanyeol interrupted.

“Actually, you have it wrong” Chanyeol said and Kai turned to look at him.

“What do you mean?”

“The year was 507 AD and it was not one witch. Tamsin literally means ‘twins’ and they were twin sisters. One of them practiced white magic, focused on the good side like healing people and stuff like that. The other sister practiced black witchcraft and lusted after power. She was the one who burned her sister, the White Witch at the stake to gain ultimate power because she believed as long as her twin was alive, the Black Witch could never be truly powerful and everything she gained, would be split between the two”

Kai’s eyes widened upon hearing this. He got up.

“I have to go” he suddenly announced.

“What?” Baekhyun asked. “Why?”

But Kai was not able to hear what Baekhyun asked him. He simply picked his wallet and car keys up and rushed out the door before Baekhyun could stop him.

Baekhyun then slowly turned to Chanyeol.

“What just happened?”

Chanyeol shrugged. He did not have any idea either.

“What you just said… is that true?”

Nodding like it was nothing, Chanyeol picked up another piece of pizza. No matter how much he ate, his hunger did not really subside completely.

“How do you even know all of that?” Baekhyun asked next.

Chanyeol looked at Baekhyun straight in the eyes.

“ That’s the last time I was on earth. In the 6th Century. That was the only time, other than this, that I had been summoned from Hell”


	3. Chapter 3

_****Even when the stars die out  
****_ _****and moon remains hidden  
** ** _ _****even when the sun fades  
** ** _ _****and time has come to an end  
** ** _ __****I will still remember you my love.** **

“You’ve… you’ve actually been here before?” Baekhyun asked a little taken aback.

Chanyeol curtly nodded.

Baekhyun began to get curious. If he came to earth once before, it meant that he also went back. Baekhyun just needed to find out how. He felt like there was finally a solution to this looming problem that came in the form of otherworldly creature with a temper that could destroy the world.

“How did you come here the last time?”

Chanyeol looked up from his slice of pizza and for a second Baekhyun thought he saw traces of fear. Was it even possible? What could the Devil be scared of?

“I was summoned” Chanyeol coldly answered.

The words said by Chanyeol were so sharp that Baekhyun could feel them piercing the surface of his skin. Something told Baekhyun that Chanyeol was not comfortable talking about this and Baekhyun was scared of pushing it too far. Especially after what he had done the last time he was angry. Hell was a sight Baekhyun did not want to see ever again.

Deciding to pick up the topic perhaps later, Baekhyun decided to eat in silence.

Once they were done eating, Baekhyun felt jaded from all the day’s work and all he wanted was to crash on his bed.

“I am still hungry” Chanyeol announced as Baekhyun got up to leave. “What else do you have?”

Baekhyun looked at him with a blank look on his face. “You just ate mine and Kai’s portions along with yours. How are you still hungry?”

“I don’t know. Must be this human form”

Baekhyun was about to snap and tell him to go back to his original form when he remembered how the Devil had threatened him not to order him around. But more than that, Baekhyun was scared of what the Devil actually looked like beneath his disguise. He never wanted to see that side again.

He got up and walked over to the kitchen counter before coming back with what looked like multiple papers.

“Can you read?” Baekhyun asked innocently.

Chanyeol looked at him like he was genuinely hurt. “Of course I can read. Who do you think invented math?”

“No wonder I’ve always hated it” Baekhyun heaved, despite the fact that he was literally a math genius. But just because he was good at something, did not mean he couldn’t hate it.

Baekhyun picked his wallet up from the coffee table and handed it over to Chanyeol. “There are some 24*7 delivery outlets so order whatever you want to. Money’s in there”

Chanyeol took the wallet as well as the pamphlets from Baekhyun.

“Can you use a phone?”

Chanyeol shook his head and Baekhyun swore he had never seen anyone look as innocent as Chanyeol did. He then had to mentally slap himself because did he actually think the Devil was innocent? The Devil?

Baekhyun discarded the thought and taught Chanyeol how to use his phone.

“Tomorrow I’ll buy you your own” Baekhyun said. He was not sure how long the Devil was going to stick around and if he wanted to know his whereabouts, it was best to let him have his own _goddamn_ phone.

“Order whatever you want. I am going to sleep”

Baekhyun had climbed the stairs halfway when he stopped and turned around.

“Do you ever sleep?” he asked curiously as Chanyeol looked up from the papers and at Baekhyun.

“I do everything a human does as long as I am in a human form.” Saying these words, Chanyeol turned his attention back to the papers, leaving a very puzzled Baekhyun to his own thoughts.

Feeling the burden of the day weighing down upon his shoulders, Baekhyun turned round and went into his room to sleep, not even bothering about where the Devil would be sleeping that night.

Waking up the next day, the first thing that crossed Baekhyun’s mind was that he had such a crazy dream that if he were to tell it to someone, they’d laugh at how imaginative Baekhyun’s imagination ran.

He laughed and shook his head. Even for a gaming genius like him, whatever he had dreamt of was pretty farfetched.

Baekhyun looked around for his phone but it was nowhere to be seen. He thought he must have left it downstairs last night when suddenly images of him giving the phone to the Devil flashed in his mind.

“That was a very vivid dream” Baekhyun said to himself before climbing off the bed and going downstairs to get some water to drink.

He walked down, still rubbing his eyes from all the tiredness. And while walking to the kitchen, he missed looking at the living room to his left.

Opening the fridge and pulling a bottle of water out, Baekhyun stood with his lower back rested on the kitchen top with a very dreadful scene just behind him that he had failed to notice so far. With the last sip of water caved inside his mouth, Baekhyun turned around to face the horror that awaited him.

As the last remains of water gushed out from Baekhyun’s mouth, he found that the dream he thought he had, was indeed a reality. The Devil, in his human form was sprawled across the couch, his arms wrapped around a large cushion as empty containers of food spread across like the living room that looked like a waste bin.

Baekhyun stood there, counting the mess. Lying all around the floor were at least 11 empty bowls of jajangmyeon, 7 boxes of pizza, 15 bottles of cola, 5 bowls of pasta and 21 boxes of fried chicken.

There was a reason Baekhyun preferred living alone. He did not like the clutter other humans carried with them in terms of habits and behavior. A hoarder would always be a hoarder, a cleanliness freak would always be a cleanliness freak. But Baekhyun was neither. He was in the most perfect sense, balanced. He liked to keep his house neat but not to a point of obsessive compulsion. He liked hoarding things too, but those were the things that mattered to him a lot. Old vinyl records, books, minted action figures and things he had missed out on as a child.

To Baekhyun, having another person who disrupted this perfect balance was like a horrendous. He had inculcated the habit of living all by himself over the past 10 years, since he had lost his mother. Baekhyun knew he was incapable of cohabitating with another person in his life and that was another reason he kept relationships to a bare minimum. He had been alone for so long, that living alone was the only thing he knew.

And then there was this Devil who in all his wretchedness, had not only breached Baekhyun’s perfect balance, but had also butchered it mercilessly.

“CHANYEOL” Baekhyun yelled his lungs out that jerked the Devil wide awake.

“Hmm?” He asked, wiping the drool off his face. “What? What is it?”

Baekhyun eyes panned across the room. “Did you eat all of that on your own or did you have friends visiting from Hell?”

Chanyeol’s eyes followed Baekhyun’s.

“Oh” Chanyeol said, rubbing his eyes and yawning from the remnants of the sleep that he still carried. “It was all me”

Baekhyun could not believe his eyes. How could anyone eat so much in such a short time?

He was trying very hard to control his anger but he could feel it leaking out from the edges of his patience. Taking one heavy breath and asking himself to calm down, Baekhyun looked at Chanyeol as he spoke though gritted teeth.

“I am going for a shower, you better clean this up before I get back”

Chanyeol scoffed. Even though he was half asleep, he was still very, very annoying to Baekhyun.

“You’re asking the king of Hell to clean up?” Chanyeol asked, amused.

If there was one thing Baekhyun’s life had taught him in all these years, it was the fact that those in power ruled the world not because they were powerful but because they knew how to step on those they believed to be below them. Baekhyun had to learn it after being stepped upon by opportunists that if he wanted to survive the world, he could never let anyone know that he was weak. He could never submit to his fears because if anyone got a whiff of those fears, they would stop at nothing to see Baekhyun crushed to the ground.

Baekhyun knew he couldn’t let Chanyeol get to him. If he submitted to the Devil now, he would have to do it until he was on earth.

And so, for the first time since he had seen Chanyeol, Baekhyun gave out his pretentious, confident smile.

“Look around” Baekhyun said and Chanyeol did. “You’re not a king because this isn’t hell”

Chanyeol’s expressions changed as he looked at Baekhyun who even though was smiling, had a hint of threat in his voice. “Have you forgotten what I showed you last night?” Chanyeol asked. It was a battle of egos and both of them liked to win.

For a second, Baekhyun’s eyes faltered. The gruesome image of hell flashed before him but he did not let it show on his face.

Instead, he simply turned to his left and walked up the stairs.

“Clean up before I come back” he simply said with his back turned towards Chanyeol.

It was not an order, not a request or a threat. It was just as sentence, as plain and simple as it could get.

When Baekhyun came down, showered and dressed for work, he did not in fact expect for the Devil to actually listen to him. But to Baekhyun’s delightful but still nightmarish surprise, the living room was, at that point, spotless and Chanyeol was standing by the glass door, overlooking the trees out in the backyard.

For the first time, Baekhyun noticed the delicacies of Chanyeol’s face that he had failed to notice previously. For someone who was the Devil, Chanyeol chose a body suit that looked the exact opposite of him; almost godly if anything.

Baekhyun cleared his throat. He had to remind himself to not think about Chanyeol in ways other than what he was, the Devil and the way he looked now, was nothing more than a camouflage.

“I am going to work” Baekhyun announce and Chanyeol turned around and leaped towards him like a hyperactive puppy.

“Okay let’s go”

Baekhyun tilted his head, shaking it slightly. “ _I am_ going to work, not you”

“But...” Chanyeol was confused. “I need to stay near you”

“That’s not happening. I am not talking the Devil to the place I work in. God knows what you might do there.”

“He doesn’t actually” Chanyeol said in a disappointed tone.

“Huh?”

“God” Chanyeol said. “He has no idea what I am usually up to”

Baekhyun stared at how casually Chanyeol had mentioned God in his sentence like he was a spying neighbor who kept an eye on everyone. Baekhyun had never been too religious but Chanyeol has so unceremoniously said that sentence that Baekhyun began to question his own self.

“So can we go now?” Chanyeol asked, breaking Baekhyun’s thoughts.

“No” Baekhyun said. “If you want to be here and want me to help you, you are going to live by my rules under my house”

Chanyeol despised ruled. “I hate you humans so much” Chanyeol said with such loath in his voice that Baekhyun found himself believing him.

“Well guess what? We human aren’t very fond of you either so why don’t you just fuck off to anywhere but here”

“I would if an imbecile knew how to differentiate between a spell and chicken soup” Chanyeol deviously smiled.

“Did you… did you just call me an imbecile?” Baekhyun asked flabbergasted.

Chanyeol pursed his lips and close his eyes, nodding in satisfactory agreement to Baekhyun’s question. And in an attempt to do so, Chanyeol revealed a soft crater that graced his left cheek which immediately caught Baekhyun’s attention.

For a second, Baekhyun forgot what he was going to say further. He found himself drowning in the indentation like it was an ocean. But he soon snapped out of it.

“Well you’re the filthiest scum to ever exist. You’re evil and disgusting and beneath all that fake skin that you’re wearing, you’re nothing but a living nightmare” Baekhyun yelled more in an embarrassment of being affected by Chanyeol than because of being called an imbecile by him.

Baekhyun had expected Chanyeol to banter and throw something at him using his words but for some reason, he turned quiet after what Baekhyun had said. Eyes turning cold and distant, Chanyeol turned away from Baekhyun and went upstairs, leaving Baekhyun to wonder what happened suddenly.

Baekhyun’s day at work was packed with meetings after more meetings. He was so engrossed at work that he did not have the time to think about Chanyeol which was a relief considering how the Devil had managed to hijack his life in less than 24 hours.

Close to eight in the evening, Baekhyun had a couple of free minutes when he decided to call Kai.

“Hey” Baekhyun said when Kai picked up.

“Hi babe” Kai replied. “I m sorry for last night”

Baekhyun heard the soft plea in Kai’s voice.

“It’s okay” Baekhyun said. “I hope we can reschedule sometimes this week?”

“Yes. I’d like that” Kai said and Baekhyun realized that the usual smile that accompanies Kai’s words was missing. “How’s your friend by the way?”

“Huh?” Baekhyun asked.

“Your friend, Chanyeol?”

Baekhyun suddenly remembered that he had left a very temperamental Devil all by himself in his house.

“He’s fine” Baekhyun said through a nervous laugh. “I guess”

There was a silence and Baekhyun understood something was wrong. But before he could ask, Kai spoke out.

“Baekhyun, how do you think Chanyeol knew so much about the site we dug up?”

In the moment of brief silence before Kai spoke, Baekhyun had expected a lot of things which were a force of habit. He had expected Kai to be mad at him for not calling earlier or for having Chanyeol over during their dinner date. For not stopping him when he left last night or for not asking why he had left like that. But in all the possible scenarios, Baekhyun had not expected Kai to ask about Chanyeol and how he was aware of the incident.

Baekhyun remembered what Chanyeol had told him about being summoned to earth all those centuries ago. But he knew he could not tell that to Kai. At least not yet.

“I…” Baekhyun began, wondering if he should lie. “I don’t know” he said instead. “Why do you ask?”

At first Kai didn’t say anything.

“Nothing” he then said with a slight laughter. “I was just curious”

Baekhyun did not know what it was, but something was definitely off with Kai’s tone. He wanted to ask more but he was not sure how to without raising suspicion against Chanyeol so he decided against it.

“I gotta go” Baekhyun announced. “Drop by at the office when you’re free and we can redo out date”

“I will” Kai replied and Baekhyun hung up, unable to sink the feeling that this was the most formal conversation he’d ever had with Kai like a discomfort with words was hovering over them. He wondered if it was because of Chanyeol but the moment Baekhyun thought about him he remembered that he needed to buy things for him.

For a fleeting second, Baekhyun wondered if Chanyeol had eaten anything but considering how hungry he got, Baekhyun was sure he would have devoured the entire house by now if he was hungry.

Winding up for the day, Baekhyun decided to drop by the mall to buy clothes for Chanyeol to wear, remembering that he also needed to buy a phone for him.

“He’s about…” Baekhyun said to the lady at the store, hands raised a couple of inches over his head, “… this tall”

“So like 6 feet?”

Baekhyun nodded, hopefully getting the height right.

The lady smiled like all sales people were probably tuned to smile and led Baekhyun into the men’s section.

Baekhyun hated shopping and he hated wandering around the shops looking for things, especially clothes. He hated people who spent time shopping because he always believed it to be a waste of time. He often bought clothes for himself more out of necessity than out of interest. If it were up to him, he would walk around in briefs and vests. Unfortunately, he was not the only person on earth and he wasn’t sure if others would be happy to see him walk around half naked.

And yet, despite his hatred for this particular activity, Baekhyun was at the mall, looking for clothes for the Devil to wear. If someone had told him a week ago that Baekhyun would be out picking clothes for the Devil himself, Baekhyun would think that the person had gone absolutely bonkers and probably needed to be institutionalized. However, now he wondered if he needed to be institutionalized instead.

Picking out everything he thought was good enough, Baekhyun was done almost an hour later with multiple bags in his hand, wondering if he had bought too much.

Shaking his head, he went over to the electronics department of the mall and bought a phone which was the latest model in the market. He then went to the essentials section to buy things of basic daily use for Chanyeol.

Baekhyun was about to go back to his car when he passed by an Italian restaurant. He stopped on his tracks, wondering if he should buy pizzas for dinner. Baekhyun was always in for a pizza and he remembered how much Chanyeol loved them too.

When Baekhyun reached home, he had a car full of things from clothes, to shoes to bathing products to the 5 boxed of large pizzas. It left like he had a new pet that needed tending to.

Disappointed with himself for being too invested in this whole Devil-in-the-house situation, Baekhyun sighed as he picked up the pizza boxes first and took them inside.

The lights were off and the living room was empty. Baekhyun presumed Chanyeol was probably upstairs and wondered if he should call him or go to fetch him instead. Debating for a few seconds, he thought it was best to call him downstairs.

“Chanyeol” Baekhyun yelled, placing the pizza boxes on the dinner table. “Chanyeol I have pizza”

There was no immediate response so Baekhyun thought Chanyeol was still mad at him but remembering how he came running last night when Kai had called him for dinner, Baekhyun was sure Chanyeol would be downstairs soon.

He returned to the car to get the rest of the stuff.

Upon returning, Baekhyun placed the bag on the couch and walked over to the dinner table as he was starving himself. He noticed that the boxes were untouched and that Chanyeol had no come out yet.

“Chanyeol. The pizza is getting cold” Baekhyun said and sat down, opening a box and taking a slice for himself.

He had eaten two more slices and still there was no sign on Chanyeol yet.

“Where is he?” Baekhyun asked himself before a sudden doubt hit him. Could it be possible that he was not at home at all?

Baekhyun knew if Chanyeol had left the house, he would not be his problem anymore. Chanyeol could do whatever he wanted and find whoever he wanted to send him back and yet Baekhyun could not ignore the way his stomach curled when he thought of the Devil being found by someone else. He had spared Baekhyun, perhaps because he needed Baekhyun to send him back but would he be so merciful with others? He was the Devil after all with a reputation that had amplified with time. What if he was out there punishing and killing people in fury?

Trying to shake the idea off his head, Baekhyun decided to search the house first. There was a possibility that Chanyeol was perhaps upstairs and sleeping.

Baekhyun rushed to the floor above to see if Chanyeol was there. It was the last place he’d seen Chanyeol go before he left for work. Searching from everything to the cupboard to each bedroom on the floor, Baekhyun found Chanyeol gone.

He went back downstairs, thinking off all he places Chanyeol could go to but soon came up with nothing. He did not know anything about Chanyeol. How could he know where he could be right now?

Pacing back and forth in his living room, Baekhyun tried to calm down. He knew panicking wouldn’t solve anything and yet he found himself being nervous and unable to think logically.

He was still brooding when a gush of cold air hit him softly, brushing against his skin. Baekhyun turned to see that the glass door to the backyard was open. But he remembered that he had closed all the doors and windows.

A strong sense of relief swept across Baekhyun, thinking that Chanyeol was perhaps out by the trees. Baekhyun had seen him looking out earlier in the day so there was a good chance Chanyeol was outside, probably taking a nap.

When Baekhyun stepped out, he sighed heavily when he saw Chanyeol leaning against the trunk of the tree, probably asleep. But one glance at him and Baekhyun knew something was not right.

The light was dim and Baekhyun could only see Chanyeol’s silhouette from where he was standing. From his distance, Chanyeol seemed like he was in deep slumber.

“Chanyeol” Baekhyun said, taking a step forward. “Chanyeol wake up”

There was no response.

Baekhyun walked closer to him. “Chanyeol”

A wailing grunt met Baekhyun’s ears. It sounded painful and heavy.

Hearing that, Baekhyun rushed to Chanyeol and what he saw made his guts churn.

Lying against the trunk of the tree was Chanyeol with his skin ripped to shreds and bleeding profusely. It was like the human suit he was wearing, was falling apart.

“Chanyeol” Baekhyun called out, unable to understand what to do. It seemed like someone had made several deep cuts into Chanyeol’s body using a razor blade.

“Chanyeol, what happened?” Baekhyun could hear his own voice shaking. The situation Chanyeol was in, was painful to watch and Baekhyun could not even imagine the amount of pain Chanyeol must be feeling in that moment.

With the remnants of energy left inside of him, Chanyeol tilted his head to face Baekhyun.

“Take…” he said through heavy breaths. “… take me inside”

Baekhyun did not wait. Carefully stacking Chanyeol’s arm against his shoulder, Baekhyun tried to lift him up. His cuts bled into Baekhyun’s shirt but the latter did not care.

Chanyeol hissed when Baekhyun slid his arms under Chanyeol’s waist to support his weight.

“I am sorry” Baekhyun said, trying to control his own tears from looking at the pain Chanyeol was going through. Baekhyun did not care if he was the devil. All he knew was that no one should suffer like that.

As carefully as possible, Baekhyun dragged Chanyeol inside and laid him down on the couch in the living room. Traces of blood trailed from the backyard to the house, but none of it mattered to Baekhyun.

Once Chanyeol was lying on the couch, Baekhyun rushed to the medicine cabinet under the kitchen top and pulled whatever he could.

Holding the medicine in his hand, Baekhyun stared at Chanyeol. Under the light of the living room, Baekhyun could see each cut clearly. As Baekhyun’s eyes scanned Chanyeol, he almost let out a cry when he realized that the cuts in Chanyeol’s body were in thousands. Every inch of his body was infused with an incision and each of them was bleeding.

This was beyond Baekhyun’s capabilities.

“I need to call the hospital” he said, pulling his phone out. Just as he was about the make the call, a pair of weak, bleeding hands grabbed his wrist.

Baekhyun looked down at Chanyeol who was using all his strength to stop Baekhyun.

“Don’t” Chanyeol said in a very weak voice.

Baekhyun’s knees gave out upon hearing the words that were uttered in so much pain and he slouched to floor, with Chanyeol right in front of him.

“I have to.” Baekhyun said. “Or you’ll die”

“The book” Chanyeol managed to say. “You’ll find…”

Before Chanyeol could complete his sentence, he suddenly let out a soft breath and closed his eyes as his head slumped on the side.

“Chanyeol” Baekhyun cried out loud. Lifting his hand and patting Chanyeol lightly on the cheeks, Baekhyun tried to wake him up. “Chanyeol wake up”

Images of his mother dying flashed before him and he could feel his eyes filling with tears.

“Stop” he told himself, controlling his emotions. He had not cried in the last 10 years and he was not about to now. He knew he needed to think rationally and be in control. He couldn’t save his mother but he would never let the same thing happen again. Baekhyun was not going to let another person die on him.

“The book” he said, remembering what Chanyeol had told him.

Rushing to the kitchen again, Baekhyun pulled the book of spells out from under the kitchen sink.

Since none of the pages had a labeling, it was difficult for him to understand what he needed to do. Maybe the page that had the spell of summoning the Devil could help.

Baekhyun flipped the pages and soon landed on the one that had led him to summon Chanyeol from hell. He scanned through the entire page but there was nothing there. He went on to the next page but it was a completely unrelated spell. Desperate to find answers, Baekhyun scanned through the entire book but was unable to find one clue on what to do with Chanyeol.

He was about to close the book in frustration when his eyes suddenly fell on the last page of the book. It looked like two pages were stuck together. Carefully so that he would not damage the writing, Baekhyun tried to separate the two pages that were stuck like glue.

It took Baekhyun some time but when he was successfully able to detach the pages, he found what he was looking for.

His blood ran cold when he saw the words that were written in almost faded font.

“Thee who shalt call upon the Devil, shalt act as his shadow for leaveth him be and he shalt perish whence hell wilt cometh undone on earth”

Baekhyun stared at the words in horror. It was his doing? He was the one responsible for happened to Chanyeol?

For a moment, all his senses went numb. He couldn’t feel his hands or legs. What was he supposed to do now? How could he be so adamant when Chanyeol had insisted upon going with him early in the morning? Baekhyun couldn’t help but blame himself for this. The person lying on his couch with thousands of painful cuts on his body and in unimaginable pain, was in this situation because of Baekhyun’s stupidity.

Suddenly Chanyeol let out a very soft yet painful howl which brought Baekhyun back to reality. He was still alive. Chanyeol was still alive and Baekhyun could save him.

He read further and knew what he had to do next.

Baekhyun stood over Chanyeol with a knife in one hand and bottle of ancient red wine in the other. Slowly setting the wine bottle and the knife on the coffee table near the closest thing he had to a chalice, a glass wine cup, Baekhyun recalled the words he’d read in the book. He still didn’t know if it would work but he knew he had to try.

Baekhyun opened the bottle and poured the wine into the glass until it was half full. Picking up the knife, he then turned towards Chanyeol. Holding the sharp object in his right hand, he gently held the tip against the palm of his left hand.

With a soft nudge, Baekhyun pierced his hand with the sharp knife as thick, warm liquid gushed out in a velvety flow. Placing the knife back on the table, Baekhyun pressed the thumb of his right hand on the wound to draw more blood out. When his thumb was lathed in the maroon liquid, he placed it on Chanyeol’s chest. He drew one vertical line and then two horizontal lines crossing it, the upper one shorter than the lower one. At the bottom of the vertical line, he drew an infinity symbol.

Once Baekhyun was done drawing that symbol, he then reached Chanyeol’s forehead. Drawing more blood from his hand, he made an inverted pentagon on the temple of his head which he later enclosed in a circle.

Two of the three steps mentioned were over. There was just one thing left. Baekhyun turned around and picked up the glass of wine he had just poured. Holding his left hand over the glass, he let more blood flow into it but the wound had started clotting by then. He knew he couldn’t stop now. He couldn’t let Chanyeol die after coming this far. Holding the knife in his left hand this time, Baekhyun replicated the incision in the palm of his right hand as fresh blood oozed. He let the thick blood pour into the wine glass until the remaining half was full too.

Once he was done, Baekhyun tried to lift Chanyeol up to a sitting position. Holding the glass with bloody hands, Baekhyun pressed it against Chanyeol quivering lips, letting him sip the concoction slowly. Sip after sip, Chanyeol swallowed the drink at his own pace.

Baekhyun was expecting immediately result perhaps because when the glass was emptied and Chanyeol still did not show any movements, Baekhyun wanted to scream.

“Chanyeol” Baekhyun said, “Open your eyes”

Chanyeol did not respond.

“It should have worked by now” Baekhyun said frantically even if he did not know how he knew this. “Wake up Chanyeol” he said.

Baekhyun was about to rush back to grab the book to see if he had made any mistakes when suddenly the lightning and thunder rumbled across the sky, just like it had done when Chanyeol was summoned.

Baekhyun turned his eyes from the window and back to Chanyeol and he swore what he saw next was not short of a miracle.

Just as another thunder rolled, the symbols Baekhyun had made on Chanyeol’s chest and forehead, burned into his skin, like they were on fire. While they burned and etched on Chanyeol’s skin, he suddenly opened his eyes and gasped for air like he had been deprived of it all his life. Baekhyun could not believe what he was seeing. As Chanyeol breathed more and more, the wounds on his skin healed one after the other, closing the gaped incisions. Every drop of blood that covered his body disappeared.

Baekhyun stared at him, unblinking and lost in the virtuousness of the sight before him but before he could say anything, he felt his eyes getting heavy.

“Chan….” he began to say but before he could, he dropped to the floor, unconscious and lost in darkness. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not very fluent in archaic language so I am sorry if I murdered it :(


	4. Chapter 4

****_I live you in every breath that I take  
_**** ****_I write you in all my memories  
_ ** ** ****_Do not wake me up  
_ ** ** ****_For in reality you’re a shadow  
_ ** ** ******_And in dreams, I get to touch you a little more_ **

****** **

****** **

****** **

****** **

Dreams come in all forms. Some are as ordinary as the mundane activities of one’s life. Some are special that mean something signification. Some are pleasant that make one smile when they wake up from it while others make them scream till they wake up, dreading to go back to sleep.

Baekhyun was somehow having two dreams at once; running parallel with each other, often colliding in places were memories were leaking through holes of forgetfulness.

In one, he was smiling and laughing with his parents. It was supposed to be a happy dream. Baekhyun wanted to dance and play and run around when his parents looked at him with a smile. But the nightmare started when Baekhyun looked at their faces. They were not his parents.

In a parallel dream, Baekhyun was crying. He was hurt. His parents, his actual parents took him inside the house and tried to calm him down. But Baekhyun would not stop crying. He felt like he had lost something that he couldn’t remember.

He then saw his mother lying on the hospital bed, breathing her last.

“Mom” Baekhyun yelled and suddenly opened his eyes. The nightmare had ended.

“You’re awake”

Baekhyun looked to his right, getting up to find Chanyeol sitting there, unscathed. The moment he saw him, he forgot everything about the dream he’d seen.

“What happened?” Baekhyun asked.

“I am afraid you bled too much from the cuts in your hand” Chanyeol said softly.

Suddenly all the memories rushed back to him. “You’re alive.” Baekhyun said sighing, “Thank god you’re alive”

Chanyeol winced. “Yeah I am not sure the old man is going to be that psyched about it”

Even though he wanted to laugh at how Chanyeol did not realize how casual his mentions of god were, Baekhyun did not have the energy to do so. He looked at his hands.

“My hands… they’re healed” he exclaimed in shock, looking at Chanyeol. “How long have I been unconscious?”

“6 months” Chanyeol said passively.

“What?” Baekhyun found himself shouting even if he did not know where the power came from.

“No no no no no” Baekhyun exclaimed, trying to get out of bed. “This can’t be happening.”

The moment he tried to stand up on his foot, he stumbled, just in time for Chanyeol to catch him.

Chanyeol held Baekhyun close to his chest, letting the smaller rest his weight on him.

“Careful” he whispered as his warm breath fell on Baekhyun’s cheeks.

For a second, Baekhyun felt warm and comforted.

Chanyeol gently led him onto the bed and pulled the duvet over him.

“I am kidding. It’s only been 12 hours”

Baekhyun stared at Chanyeol like he could burn his mere existence if he looked long enough. Then he remembered the wounds.

“How did my hands heal?” he asked.

Chanyeol put his hands up and wiggled his fingers. “These beauties helped”

Baekhyun was silent for a moment. He remembered everything the book had said. Baekhyun looked up at Chanyeol with unexplainable sorrows in his eyes. He felt sorry for him but wasn’t sure if he was supposed to. Chanyeol was the Devil after all. Who felt sorry for the Devil?

“What happened to you?” Baekhyun asked, trying to understand everything.

“Nothing” Chanyeol replied, shrugging.

“What were those wounds on your body?”

Chanyeol did not meet his eyes. “They’re nothing. Happens when I come to earth. It’s common”

To Baekhyun, it was anything but common but what Chanyeol said, really shook him. If what he had read was true, it meant that Chanyeol needed to stay close to whoever summoned him. The book had also mentioned that if Chanyeol used his powers in his summoner’s absence, he would hurt more, inflicting more wounds on himself. And him saying that it was common meant that it had happened more than once or twice before.

But the question was, why was Chanyeol lying?

Baekhyun was about to ask more questions when Chanyeol got up from the chair beside the bed. “You should sleep”

“No I need to get to work” Baekhyun replied. He picked his phone up and realized it was close to 10 in the morning and he was already late.

“You can’t go to work like this” Chanyeol said. “Call in sick”

Baekhyun stared at him. In all the past ten years, he had never called in sick. Not for school, not for his part time jobs, and not once for his company. No matter how tired, overworked or sick he was, he always showed up. He had never skipped one day and he was not about to start now.

“That’s not going to happen” Baekhyun said, getting up from his bed. “But if you’re so worried about me, you could come with, make sure I am fine”

Even though the actual reason to have Chanyeol with him was entirely different, Baekhyun was not ready to tell him that he knew, not until he found out why Chanyeol was lying about being inflicted by wounds when he was away.

Chanyeol looked at him in surprise. “Really?” he asked in amazement. “I can come with you?”

Baekhyun nodded. “I brought clothes and food for you last night.”

“The food’s gone” Chanyeol confessed.

“You ate everything?” Baekhyun asked. He was beginning to be less surprised by it now.

Baekhyun shook his head. “Go and get dressed”

After informing his secretary that he might get late, Baekhyun went downstairs to make coffee for himself and Chanyeol. He did not know why but he was beginning to become more sympathetic towards Chanyeol since last night. It was party because of the guilt that he was the reason Chanyeol had suffered so much but more than that, it was because Chanyeol did not blame Baekhyun for it, even when he clearly knew whose fault it was.

Baekhyun was still sipping his coffee when Chanyeol came down the stairs. Baekhyun almost choked when he saw him.

Slowly walking down, was the Devil in a blue business suit and a white t-shirt underneath. For a brief moment, Baekhyun forgot to breathe at how gorgeous this thing walking towards him looked.

“Ready?” Chanyeol asked as he moved towards where Baekhyun was sitting.

Baekhyun blinked, unable to think. He pushed the mug of coffee towards Chanyeol.

“Drink” Baekhyun said and Chanyeol happily picked up the mug while he started to use his new phone, trying to understand how it worked.

And all the while that Chanyeol was finishing his coffee, Baekhyun was unable to take his eyes off of Chanyeol through the stolen glances behind his own coffee mug.

They reached Baekhyun’s company, PreCorYun not long after. Baekhyun drove them over and upon reaching, he realized that he was more tired than he had anticipated he would be.

“Are you alright?” Chanyeol asked as they stepped into the pavement outside the office building. 

Baekhyun was feeling anything but alright. He felt lightheaded and to a certain extent nauseated.

“Just stay close to me okay?” he asked, only to gain a raised eyebrow from Chanyeol.

“In case I fall or something” Baekhyun quickly added, averting any suspicion that his words might have raised.

Upon reaching his office on the top floor, Baekhyun realized that he was late for a meeting where his team was supposed to work on his feedback and present the changes they’d made.

He looked at Chanyeol who seemed fascinated by the interiors and was analyzing everything present within the room.

Baekhyun wondered if it would be safe for him to leave Chanyeol up in the office. He did not know what the perimeter limit for safety was but he was not willing to take risks. He already had lost too much blood and wasn’t sure if he could do it again.

“I have to get to a meeting…” Baekhyun announced and the moment he did, Chanyeol leapt from the couch in Baekhyun’s office. “… and if you want to come along, you have to promise me something.”

Chanyeol nodded. “No talking, no vanishing, no showing your true form, no doing anything. You will just sit quietly in one corner and pretend you do not exist. Can you do that?”

Chanyeol nodded again enthusiastically. “Okay, let’s go”

When Baekhyun entered the meeting room, everyone was curious about the stranger there. “He’s a friend from college” Baekhyun said softly before he asked Chanyeol to sit in the corner of the room, away from everyone else.

“Sorry I am late” Kyungsoo said as he entered the meeting with his team and notes and everyone settled down to start the meeting.

To Baekhyun’s utter surprise, the meeting was going on without a single glitch. He had never expected for Chanyeol to keep his promise but wonderfully enough, he lived up to his words. Throughout the meeting, Baekhyun’s eyes kept running back to the tall Devil in the corner who seemed amazed by everything that was happening in the room. Every change of slide on the projector, ever tiny piece of animation, every image of still from the new game kept him occupied with a gaped mouth like he was witnessing the birth of the universe.

“Baekhyun, are you listening?” Kyungsoo’s voice called out when Baekhyun realized he had been staring at Chanyeol for far too long to get lost.

He cleared his throat. “Yeah I am listening”

“Good. So we have a few designs for the Devil that we think might be good for the game”

Suddenly Baekhyun realized the irony in the situation. His eyes flew to Chanyeol who looked more startled than amused.

“This is the first one” Kyungsoo said as a very fluffy red figure came alive on the screen. It was red all over, had two horns, a tail and pitchfork for a weapon. It did not look like a devil at all. If anything, it looked like a Pokemon.

Baekhyun noticed that Chanyeol looked enraged by the design.

“Next” Baekhyun immediately said and Kyungsoo moved on to the next design. This was, if even possible, much worse than the last one.

“Why the fuck is the Devil green?” Baekhyun yelled, breaking Chanyeol’s concentration on Kyungoo where he looked like he would send him straight to hell.

Kyungsoo moved to the next slide, a little annoyed at Baekhyun for yelling at something as trivial as this.

In the third design, the devil was just a black mass of darkness. Baekhyun was about to say something when he saw Chanyeol standing with fury in his eyes. Not sure what Chanyeol was capable of doing to Kyungsoo or anyone in that room, Baekhyun acted on instinct and immediately rushed over to where he was standing.

“Calm down” Baekhyun said in a low whisper. By then, all eyes were on them.

“Do you know what a Devil looks like boy?” Chanyeol asked Kyungsoo in a deep, angry voice that sent shivers down Baekhyun’s spine.

“I will show you…”

Before Chanyeol could finish speaking, Baekhyun caught him by the wrist and began dragging him out of the meeting room.

“We will continue this later. Dismissed” he said before leaving the room with Chanyeol trailing behind him.

Everyone inside was shocked at what had happened. None of them had seen Baekhyun act like that before. And no one was more surprised than Kyungsoo.

“Who was that guy?” Kyungsoo asked around.

“Baekhyun’s friend from college” Baekhyun’s secretary, Anne, replied.

Kyungsoo stared at the door through which they had just left. “No he is not” he muttered softly to himself.

“I asked you to do one thing. One thing and you utterly failed at that” Baekhyun yelled at Chanyeol once they were back at his office. He hardly had any energy left and he was exhausting himself by yelling now.

“This is my company Chanyeol. I will not have you exposing yourself and acting like a fool here”

Chanyeol was enraged. “Didn’t you see the mockery they made out of me? Me? The Devil?” he asked with gritted teeth.

Baekhyun reached for the chair for support. Breathing was becoming heavier for some reason.

“Shut the fuck up, will you? If you pull this shit once more, I will drop you back at home” he said.

Chanyeol suddenly shuddered at the words Baekhyun spoke. Baekhyun noticed and realized he shouldn’t have said that, remembering what it had done to Chanyeol.

In the next moment, Chanyeol said something but Baekhyun failed to hear it. All of a sudden the room started spinning and before Baekhyun could anticipate, he dropped to the floor.

Back home, Chanyeol gently placed Baekhyun on his bed before retreating back downstairs. He had become moderately good at using his phone by then so the first thing he did was open the web browser.

Baekhyun had taught him to use the speech function so he tried that.

“Man sick, what to do?” Chanyeol spoke into the phone.

“ ** **How to Take Care of Sick Boyfriend**** ” was the first result that came up.

“What?” Chanyeol said. “No phone, he is not my boyfriend”

“Phone” he said again, hoping to get a response. “Oi phone Baekhyun is not my boyfriend”

He was about to smash the phone onto the floor when suddenly the doorbell rang.

Rushing over, Chanyeol opened the door to find the tiny person from Baekhyun’c company standing there.

“Devil mocker” Chanyeol said with a gasp. “Are you here to ridicule me further?”

“Huh?” Kyungsoo asked wondering what Chanyeol was doing there. “Why are you here?”

“It is none of your business”

Kyungsoo pushed him away and walked inside the house. “Of course it is my business this is my best friend’s house” he said, turning to Chanyeol with anger in his voice. “And you are an imposter”

Chanyeol closed the door behind him and walked over to where Kyungsoo was standing.

“Where is Baekhyun?” Kyungsoo asked looking around. “Where is he?”

With a very cold stare, he looked at Chanyeol and slowly walked towards him.

Chanyeol did not expect for a man his size to pack so much strength inside his body but in the very next moment, Kyungsoo hurled him by his collar and pulled him down to a face level.

“If something happens to Baekhyun, I will kill you”

Chanyeol scoffed but soon turned silent. Something in Kyungsoo’s eyes told him he was not kidding.

“Now tell me where he is” he asked, letting Chanyeol go.

Chanyeol coughed and pointed upstairs where Baekhyun’s bedroom was. The moment Kyungsoo was gone, he breathed. As the Devil, Chanyeol had seen many humans in his lifetime but for some reason, Kyungsoo scared him a little.

“What is wrong with him?” Kyungsoo asked rushing down the stairs and charging towards Chanyeol. As if out of reflex, Chanyeol put his hand out and placed it against Kyungsoo’s forehead, stopping him from reaching Chanyeol. Kyungsoo flung his arms, trying to grab Chanyeol but his hands were short and all he could do was wave them frantically in the air.

“Calm down you tiny human” Chanyeol roared. “He is just not well. Nothing a good rest can’t solve”

Kyungsoo calmed down and now stood still but continued to stare Chanyeol with suspicion in his eyes.

“I am Kyungsoo. What is your name?” he asked.

“Chanyeol”

“Chanyeol what?”

“Chanyeol the Devil”

“Chanyeol the Devil my ass” Kyungsoo retorted and Chanyeol looked offended by the statement.

“How do you know Baekhyun?” we went on to ask further.

“He…” Chanyeol began, not sure how much he was allowed to say. “He called me to stay here”

“He asked you to stay here? As in live together?”

Chanyeol nodded. If Kyungsoo was suspicious earlier, he was sure there was something fishy now. Baekhyun who wouldn’t even let his friend from high school have a sleepover, was living with someone?

“How long have you been living together?”

“Since 2 days” Chanyeol replied.

“How long have you known Baekhyun?”

These were pretty easy questions for Chanyeol. “2 days” he said.

Kyungsoo eye’s few wide open. What was happening? Baekhyun would never move in with someone who he’d just met. Was this Chanyeol guy perhaps a conman?

“What about Kai?”

“He was here the day I came”

“Wait…” Kyungsoo said trying to understand the situation. “He knows about you living together?”

Chanyeol nodded. “In fact the three of us were together that day”

Kyungsoo shook his head. This was all new information.

“Together as in _together_ together?

Chanyeol nodded happily. He was proud of himself for being able to answer questions efficiently.

Kyungsoo ran his hand though his hair in frustration. What was Baekhyun doing? As far as he knew Baekhyun, the latter was never an impulsive decision maker who moved in with someone he just met and then also invited his boyfriend for a threesome. Kyungsoo wondered if it was a quarter-life crisis Baekhyun was going through. Whatever it was, he knew it was his duty to help his friend.

“I’m staying till he wakes up” Kyungsoo announced and perched himself down on the couch, turning the TV on and Chanyeol politely followed.

Kyungsoo randomly turned from one channel to another when he heard a sudden grumble. He turned to his right to see Chanyeol sitting with his stomach clutched in his hands.

He looked up and smiled.

“Say you wouldn’t know how to cook, would you?”

“What happened to the car?” Kyungsoo asked, looking at Baekhyun’s Porche that was covered in dents and scratches.

Chanyeol shrugged. “Baekhyun was sick so I had to drive and I do not necessarily know how to drive”

Kyungsoo stared at Chanyeol in horror. “You risked Baekhyun’s life because you wanted to save his life?”

As Chanyeol tried to understand what Kyungsoo had said, the latter simply shook his head and walked over to his own car.

“Get in” he told Chanyeol and he did.

After Chanyeol had asked Kyungsoo to cook, the latter first refused but upon hearing the multiple grumbles that shot out from Chanyeol’s hungry stomach, he had to give him. What took him by surprise was the fact that they literally had no food in their house.

Wondering what they had been surviving on for 2 days, Kyungsoo reluctantly volunteered to buy them grocery.

“How are you guys going to survive this living together situation if none of you know how to cook?” Kyungsoo asked while driving. His voice was less threatening now, more sympathetic.

Chanyeol sulked with a pout. “I could always learn”

For a second Kyungsoo looked at him in pleasant surprise. “Really? You’d do that for Baekhyun?”

Chanyeol shrugged. “He is the only one who can send me back so this is the least I can do I guess”

“Back? Back to where?”

“Hell of course”

“Of cause you’re Chanyeol the Devil?” Kyungsoo laughed and Chanyeol laughed with him.

“Yes” the latter said with a bright smile. “I am glad you get it now. But be warned, you mock me one more time and I will drag you down to hell”

They reached the supermarket soon enough which was pretty secluded considering how it was the middle of the day.

“Grab a cart and follow me” Kyungsoo said.

Chanyeol pulled a cart out from the chain and went after him.

One after the other Kyungsoo started filling it with things he thought could be useful in cooking. He was organized enough to make sure that he bought them groceries that would last an entire month.

As he was walking further, he suddenly ran into a kid who was running around trying to shoot people.

He stood there with a toy gun in his hand and directed it at Kyungsoo.

“Move” Kyungsoo said but the boy stuck his tongue out at him.

“Argh I hate kids” Kyungsoo said while Chanyeol laughed at him.

After a staring content which lasted well over a minute, the boy ran away when his mother called him and Kyungsoo finally felt relieved.

He turned to Chanyeol. “Do you like wine?” he asked and Chanyeol nodded enthusiastically.

“Only red though” Chanyeol said.

“Really? Me too” Kyungsoo put his hand up for a high five.

“I invented that” Chanyeol said, slamming his hand into Kyungsoo who just shook his head.

When they reached the wine section, Chanyeol let Kyungsoo decided what he wanted. The wine rack was stretched from the bottom to the ceiling with assortments of wines.

Kyungsoo was still looking with Chanyeol behind him when suddenly the wine rack started shaking a little.

Kyungsoo backed away.

“Is it an earthquake?” he suddenly asked.

Chanyeol shook his head. “I don’t sense anything”

“Stop joking Chanyeol” Kyungsoo said, grabbing his hand. Just as he was about to drag Chanyeol, Kyungsoo noticed through the gaps in the cabinet that the kid from earlier was trying to rock the wine shelf.

“Oi you” Kyungsoo said threateningly. “Wait till I get to you”

The moment he said that, the kid pushed the shelf with all his strength in order to stop Kyungsoo from coming after him.

“Fuck” Kyungsoo said when noticed the wine bottles from the top of the rack was about to fall down, and straight on top of him.

“Chanyeol duck” he shouted, alarming Chanyeol of the same. Kyungsoo managed to avert the first bottle and then the next but they were falling too fast.

He was about to run ahead with Chanyeol when the latter noticed that a bottle was headed straight for his head.

“Kyungsoo” Chanyeol tried to warn him but he realized it would be too late. In a moment of lapsed judgment and impulsive recklessness, Chanyeol realized he had to do what he could to save Kyungsoo.

He grabbed Kyungsoo’s arm and turned him around. Then, snapping his fingers, Chanyeol pulled Kyungsoo towards him.

The latter was stacked across Chanyeol’s chest with his eyes closed. He was expecting for the bottles to fall down on them one by one but when he couldn’t hear anything for a few seconds, he was caught off guard.

Kyungsoo slowly opened his eyes and what he saw, shook his entire foundation of belief.

The first thing he noticed was the partially tilted shelf. For some reason, it was hovering diagonally instead of falling straight on them. Then Kyungsoo looked up and saw the bottles from the rack that were supposed to fall down on him, were suspended in the air midway. Unable to believe what he was seeing, he walked away from under the shelf and out to see what had happened.

To his utter disbelief, the entire world had frozen. Everything came to a halt like someone had stopped time.

“How…” he began, trying to form words. “How is this even possible?”

Chanyeol emerged from beneath the shelf. He was finding it difficult to walk, like his body was failing him.

“Kyungsoo” he said, trying to grab something for support.

Before Kyungsoo could make his mind about what had happened, Chanyeol stumbled on the floor with a thud. And just like that, the world resumed like someone had pressed the play button.

“Chanyeol” came a faint voice. “Chanyeol wake up”

As he slowly opened his eyes, Chanyeol realized Kyungsoo was hovering over him, patting his cheeks a little.

“What happened?” Chanyeol asked, trying to sit now.

“You fainted” Kyungsoo said. “Are you feeling okay?”

Chanyeol nodded, trying to rub his head. He propelled himself up. Suddenly his eyes fell on his left arm that was starting to show signs of various deep cuts under the sleeves of his jacket. He immediately hit it from Kyungsoo.

“We need to go right now”

Kyungsoo nodded and gave him the car keys. “Get in the car I will be right back after I pay”

Kyungsoo hurried to the car and when he reached, he found Chanyeol writhing in pain.

“Chanyeol what’s wrong?”

Chanyeol did not reply but Kyungsoo suddenly noticed the cuts on his hands that were beginning to bleed.

“Chanyeol what happened?”

“Please just drive. I need to be home” he said through his pain.

Kyungsoo understood it was not time to ask questions so he got in and stepped on the gas.

When they reached home, to Kyungsoo’s horror, the cuts on Chanyeol’s body were beginning to increase with each passing second.

Chanyeol immediately ran inside with Kyungsoo right behind him.

“Do not come upstairs” he instructed and climbed up.

“Chanyeol” Kyungsoo said but the latter did not hear.

None of this was comprehensible to Kyungsoo. What could make so many cuts on a body without any external incisions?

He wanted to go after Chanyeol to see if he was okay but something told him to listen to Chanyeol.

As he placed the bags of groceries on the table, his mind went off to the supermarket where time had stopped for a moment. He couldn’t help but wonder if it was Chanyeol who had done that. They were the only two who seemed unaffected by it and it was only when Chanyeol collapsed to the floor, did time start running again.

“Nonsense” Kyungsoo said to himself. “These things only happen in movies”

He wondered if he had hallucinated the incident. It could be possible that his mind played tricks on him. But everything was too real to feel like a hallucination.

Going against his better judgment, Kyungsoo decided to go upstairs and check in on Chanyeol.

When he went up, the door to Baekhyun’s room was open and Chanyeol was lying on the bed beside Baekhyun with their fingers entangled. Kyungsoo stepped in.

It seemed like Chanyeol was sleeping, just like Baekhyun was. But he could also have been knocked out for all Kyungsoo knew.

“Chanyeol” he whispered lightly, trying not to wake Baekhyun up.

There was no response from him.

Kyungsoo moved closer to him.

“Chanyeol, are you okay?” he asked, hovering over his body.

He wanted to give Chanyeol a slight nudge to check if he was still alive.

Just as he was about to, Kyungsoo noticed the wounds on his arms. He gasped when he saw what was happening. Slowly and one after the other, each wound was closing on its own, like it never existed.

“How is this possible?” Kyungsoo whispered to himself. A chill ran down his spine when he saw more wounds healing one by one. He wasn’t sure why he was scared but the entire situation was something otherworldly and the impossibility of the situation frightened him.

He ran out of the room and down the stairs. Suddenly he was very thirsty. He pulled a bottle of water from the fridge and finished it in one go.

Kyungsoo did not know what Chanyeol was. All he knew was that he was not human. And now, his best friend was living with his creature.

“I need to get Baekhyun out of here” Kyungsoo said and suddenly his eyes fell on the ancient book of spells that was casually kept on the kitchen table.

Kyungsoo picked up the book and ran his fingers over it. Something told him this entire disaster was related to this book.

Flipping through each page one after the other, he realized what the book was about. He then landed on the page that was about summoning the Devil and his senses went numb.

“Chanyeol… Chanyeol is actually the Devil?”

Fear crept back in and he wanted to run as far away as possible but Baekhyun was still at the house. He couldn’t leave his best friend like that.

When he landed on the last page, he understood what had happened to Chanyeol. He read the lines carefully where it said that the Devil can perish if his summoner is far away from him for long enough and just like that, Kyungsoo knew what he had to do.

After about an hour, Kyungsoo went upstairs with a bowl of porridge in his hand. His legs were shaking and he was scared to go near Chanyeol but he knew he needed to, for Baekhyun’s sake.

Holding the tray in his hand, Kyungsoo approached Chanyeol. Kyungsoo noticed that every wound in his body was healed by then and he closed his eyes, gathering courage to see his plan through.

“Kyungsoo” Chanyeol said, waking up. His name from Chanyeol’s mouth made him shudder.

“I brought porridge for you” Kyungsoo said, placing it on the bed and looking at Baekhyun. “I’ll give him some when he wakes up”

Chanyeol beamed at him and all Kyungsoo could see was the Devil.

“Thank you” Chanyeol said and picked up the bowl. In no time, she started eating.

“Did you eat anything?” he asked in the middle of his bite.

Kyungsoo nodded. “Yeah I ate some before coming up”

“Good” Chanyeol said and went with his food.

Soon enough, he was done. After eating, Chanyeol let out an enormous yawn.

“I feel sleepy” he said, heavily blinking his eyes.

“Sleep then” Kyungsoo said with a smile that did not seem sincere to Chanyeol.

He was about to say something when his eyes closed and he drifted off to a deep slumber.

Kyungsoo thanked god when he saw Chanyeol dozing off. He wasn’t sure if sleeping pills would work on the Devil but he was praying his best that it would, and it did. For some reason, Kyungsoo thought god was on his side because of this.

Kyungsoo looked at a sleeping Baekhyun who was sitting on the passenger’s seat of his car. He had to use all his strength to drag Baekhyun from his room and into the car for him to take Baekhyun away from Chanyeol.

Almost an hour into the drive, Baekhyun came to.

He opened his eyes and looked around before he saw Kyungsoo.

“Soo, where are we?”

“We’re going to my farm house outside the city”

“What? Why?” Baekhyun asked. He looked into the backseat and found it empty. “Soo where is Chanyeol?”

Suddenly Kyunsoo slammed the brakes and turned towards Baekhyun.

“Do you mean the Devil?”

Baekhyun’s blood ran cold. How did Kyungsoo know about him?

Before he could say anything, Kyungsoo spoke up.

“I am not letting you anywhere near that monster. You don’t know what he is capable of doing”

Baekhyun understood it was not a joke. Kyungsoo was serious.

“I am taking you away and he will never be able to find you. Better yet, in a few hours he’ll be dead”

Baekhyun’s eyes widened. “Soo…” he said in an almost cry. “What did you do?”

“I mixed sleeping pills in his porridge to get you out of the house”

“Take me back right now Kyungsoo” Baekhyun said.

“I am not taking you back to that creature. He can stop time Baekhyun. Time. God know what else he can do.”

Kyungsoo explained to Baekhyun about the supermarket and how he found the book of spells. He told him that he was scared and that he was worried about Baekhyun so he had to do what he did.

“Soo” Baekhyun said, pleadingly. “Listen to me. I know everything about him already”

Kyungsoo looked at him in surprise. “And you’re not afraid? That he’s the Devil?”

Baekhyun shook his head. “I am not. So please take me back. He needs me”

“No” Kyungsoo yelled. “If you’d seen the way his wounds healed, you’d be afraid too”

Baekhyun did not understand how to come through to Kyungsoo. “I have already seen everything Kyungsoo. I have also seen what Hell and Purgatory look like.”

“You don’t understand Baekhyun. What he did at the supermarket, no one should be able to do that. It’s not right”

Baekhyun was trying his best to be patient. He knew his best friend was only looking out for him but right now, it was at Chanyeol’s expense and it was not right. “From what you tell me Kyungsoo, if it weren’t for Chanyeol, you’d been dead”

“What do you mean?” Kyungsoo was confused now.

“Chanyeol can’t get hurt like us humans do. If he stopped time, it wasn’t for himself. He stopped time to save your life Kyungsoo”

“Staying away from me makes his weak. He already knows that. Using his powers makes him weaker when I am not around. He saved you knowing what it would do to him. Do you still think he is evil?”

Kyungsoo looked away from Baekhyun and stared aimlessly. He tried to convince himself that Baekhyun was being stupid. That Baekhyun had not witnessed what he had.

Suddenly the entire scene from the supermarket played out in his memory. He recalled how Chanyeol had pulled him over to himself as he covered Kyungsoo with his hands to make sure he was not hurt.

If what Baekhyun was saying was true, Chanyeol had done nothing but save him. Not once had Chanyeol done anything that would seem evil in all this time. And despite the fact that Chanyeol saved his life, Kyungsoo had endangered his by taking Baekhyun away from him. He slowly turned to Baekhyun with tears in his eyes when a sudden realization dawned. In that moment of revelation, Kyungsoo realised that the Devil wasn’t the evil one but it was him, because despite knowing the consequences, Kyungsoo had chosen to kill him.

“We need to get back” Kyungsoo said, turning his car around and praying for Chanyeol to be alive by the time they got back.


	5. Chapter 5

**_How do I hold on to him  
_ _when all he's given me are empty promises  
_ _he is nothing but a distant dream  
_ _and I need to wake up  
_** __**because every time I look at him, my heart is at war**

Baekhyun defined life in the choices that you made. To him, a perfect life wasn’t about love or money, although the latter was a good perk. To him, a perfect life wasn’t being successful or being relevant to the world. What he did believe in was that the definition of a perfect life could be broken down to the decisions you made. Because none of these things would even graze through your life if you didn’t stand up for your own decisions.

It was a choice he had made when he decided to allow Chanyeol in his life, despite everything that he was and Baekhyun stood by that decision. And it was precisely because of this that he didn’t regret it one bit. What he did regret was how Kyungsoo wasn’t driving fast enough.

“Stop” Baekhyun yelled and Kyungsoo immediately halted the car to a screech.

“What’s wrong?”

“You” Baekhyun proceeded to get out of the car, “Get off, I am driving”

Baekhyun drove like a maniac who was being chased by the police after a bank robbery.

“Slow down” Kyungsoo yelled as he held on to everything inside the car along with his life.

“I can’t. Chanyeol could die”

“He won’t die Baekhyun” Kyungsoo’s words were more like prayers than assertions.

“And what if he does Soo? What if we’re late and he dies? Do you want hell to break on earth?”

“What? What Hell?”

Baekhyun cut through traffic like a knife on butter.

“Literal hell” Baekhyun said. “If Chanyeol dies here, Hell is going to break loose on earth”

“Is that what you’re worried about?” Kyungsoo asked, feeling a little nauseated.

Baekhyun did not reply because he had been telling himself that the only reason he cared for Chanyeol was because he didn’t want Hell on earth. No one knew what that would bring and Baekhyun did not want to shoulder the responsibility of that mishap. These were the words he kept telling himself time and again.

“Chanyeol” Baekhyun said as he rushed into his bedroom once he and Kyungsoo were back and inside his house. Kyungsoo quickly followed him and it was only when he saw Chanyeol did he realize the repercussions of what he had done.

Lying on the bed with multiple lacerations all over his body was Chanyeol, as he breathed heavily.

“Baekhyun” he let out in a painful whisper when he opened his eyes slightly to see Baekhyun there.

Kyungsoo wanted to scream at his own stupidity but he knew this was no time for it.

“What can I do to help?” he asked.

“Get me vintage red wine from the cellar, a wine glass and a knife” he said and Kyungsoo rushed out.

“I am sorry Chanyeol” Baekhyun said, looking at how frail the Devil looked in that moment. “I am sorry I left again”

The only sound that engulfed the room were Chanyeol’s heavy breaths and Baekhyun’s hanging words.

“You’ll be alright” Baekhyun said, taking Chanyeol’s hand in his. “I promise you’ll be alright”

Chanyeol parted his lips that were slit in multiple places, to say something but the only thing that escaped his lips were heavy whispers.

Kyungsoo soon returned with everything Baekhyun had asked for.

“What are you going to do?”

Baekhyun did not reply, nor did he take his eyes off Chanyeol.

“Pour the wine into the glass until its half full”

Kyungsoo did as he was instructed.

“Hand me the knife”

“Baekhyun” Kyungsoo said, hesitating and moving a few steps back. “What are you planning to do?”

“Just give me the knife Soo” Baekhyun voice was high, almost a like a sharp cry.

When Kyungsoo handed him the knife, Baekhyun recalled how he had lost a lot of blood just last night. He wondered if he would be able to survive it again.

But Chanyeol looked so weak and so hurt that Baekhyun didn’t think he had a choice.

Placing the tip of the knife on his left palm like he had done the previous night, Baekhyun stared at Chanyeol who was wincing in pain.

Baekhyun was about to pierce the knife into his skin when he heard his name.

“Baekhyun” Chanyeol said faintly, raising his hand with the last traces of energy left inside of him.

Dropping the knife, Baekhyun immediately caught Chanyeol’s hand.

“I’m here”

“Don’t.” It was getting more and more difficult for Chanyeol to speak now. “Don’t…. do it”

Baekhyun shook his head. “I have to Chanyeol. Or you’ll die”

Chanyeol let out a long, painful breath.

“I won’t” he managed to say amidst all his torment. “Just… stay here”

Kyungsoo who was looking at them with tears in his eyes and guilt in his mind, suddenly seemed more aware than Baekhyun was.

“Baek” he said rushing over to Baekhyun. “He’s right”

Baekhyun looked at Kyungsoo. “About what?”

“You don’t have to draw blood to save him”

“I have to Kyungsoo, that’s the only way to save him”

Kyungsoo shook his head. “No he can heal as long as you’re next to him”

Baekhyun was startled. “How do you know that?”

“When he came back from the supermarket, Chanyeol slept here with your hand in his and I saw his wounds healing. It was slow but it happened”

Baekhyun turned to look at Chanyeol. “Is that true? Can I heal you just by touching you?”

Chanyeol tried his best to force his head into a painful nod and when he succeeded, Baekhyun held on to his hand tighter.

He did not know what overcame him but in that moment, Baekhyun wanted to protect Chanyeol so bad that despite his rationality and logical judgments, Baekhyun lied down next to him, holding his hand closely in his own.

After what seemed like two hours, Baekhyun opened his eyes only to realize that he had fallen asleep next to Chanyeol with their hands still intertwined. He sat upright and stared at Chanyeol. The wounds had healed so why wasn’t he up yet?

“Chanyeol” Baekhyun said softly but received nothing in return.

He nudged Chanyeol lightly hoping he would wake up, but when he did so, Chanyeol’s body just slumped to the left and fell on his back.

Baekhyun began to panic. Something was wrong. He pulled his hands up to Chanyeol’s nose and his body went numb when he realized Chanyeol wasn’t breathing.

“Soo” Baekhyun yelled before he jumped out of the bed to find him.

He ran down the stairs to get hold of Kyungsoo so that at least he could tell Baekhyun that his deductions were wrong. That Chanyeol was still alive.

When Baekhyun rushed into the living room, he paused.

“Suho?” Baekhyun asked with desperation in his voice and a man with a gorgeous smile turned to him.

“Baekhyun” he said, walking up to him and hugged him as Baekhyun’s hands hung loosely on his side.

“What’s wrong?” Kyungsoo asked, when he saw Baekhyun’s expressions. Baekhyun looked from Suho to Kyungoo and then back at Suho.

“Help him” he said pleadingly, “He’s not breathing”

Suho’s expressions turned grim as he ran up the stairs and Baekhyun and Kyungsoo followed.

When they ran into the room, they found Suho trying to resuscitate Chanyeol. Baekhyun reached out for Kyungsoo’s hand as the latter held them tightly.

“Don’t worry Baekhyun” Kyungsoo said with a sympathetic smile. “Suho is a good doctor. He’ll save him”

Suho was compressing Chanyeol’s chest using his hands at frequent intervals followed by trying to ventilate him to get oxygen to his lungs.

Baekhyun watched as Suho continued to do this for the next few minutes, sweat tricking down his brows and weakness crawling up his arms.

Then he suddenly stopped.

“Suho” Baekhyun said in a broken voice, looking for answers but knowing deep within why Suho wasn’t doing what he was supposed to do.

Suho slowly walked over to where Baekhyun stood and placed his hand on his shoulders before pulling him for a hug again.

“I am sorry”

Baekhyun was too consumed in the situation to react. Just last night he had promised himself that he will not see Chanyeol die like he had seen his own mother. He swore he won’t feel helpless again.

Baekhyun began to curse himself for not following the ritual like he had done last night. If only he had followed it again, Chanyeol would be up. It didn’t matter to him that he would lose more blood. At least there wouldn’t be someone else’s blood on his hands. What Baekhyun was feeling now, was exactly what he felt when his mother had died.

The memories of him losing his mother brought him very close to breaking another promise he had made to himself; that he will never breakdown ever again. He would never shed another tear in life and yet, he was beginning to feel his eyes welling up.

Just as he thought he would fall apart from the crushing weight of his past experience engulfed within the burden of the present one, a loud gasp echoed through the room as all three heads turned to look at the source of it.

Chanyeol sat up straight with his hand on his chest and a very strange expression on his face.

Baekhyun blinked at him. How was this possible?

Before he could ask any questions, Suho ran towards Chanyeol to make sure he was fine.

“Follow my finger” he said, placing an index finger in front of Chanyeol and hovering it right to left and then back.

Chanyeol’s eyes followed the movement to perfection.

Suho then checked to see if all his limbs were functioning properly. Once he found no faults, he placed his hand on Chanyeol’d wrist to check for pulse.

He tilted his head in confusion.

Unable to understand anything, Suho then placed a finger on Chanyeol’s neck, just under the jaw.

All three eyes looked at Suho in silence as he looked very lost.

Suddenly he bent down and placed the side of his face, right in the middle of Chanyeol’s chest.

“What are you doing?” Chanyeol asked but Suho shushed him.

After a few seconds, Suho turned to Baekhyun with arched eyebrows and bewilderment written all over his face.

“Suho what’s wrong?”

Suho looked from Baekhyun to Chanyeol and then at Kyungsoo and then back at Baekhyun.

“He…” the doctor began, trying his best to say words that won’t make him sound like a lunatic. “I… he…”

“Just tell me what’s wrong Suho”

“He... Baek he has no heartbeat”

A chilling silence spread through the air as all three of them turned to look at Chanyeol who was only staring at Baekhyun.

“You have no heartbeat?” Baekhyun asked after a while when he let the world around him bring him back to his senses.

“Of course I have no heartbeat, because I don’t have a heart” Chanyeol said in his usual casual tone like it was normal for people to walk around without a heart in their bodies.

Suho laughed at him. “What nonsense” he said. “How are you alive then?”

“Maybe because I am the Devil?”

These words made Suho laugh even louder. Amidst his fits of giggles, he turned his eyes on Baekhyun and Kyungsoo who were looking at him with mortifying seriousness on their faces.

“Do you…” he chucked, “… do you guys believe this?”

Baekhyun stepped forward, “Okay Suho, I need you to sit down and listen to me carefully”

“Why did you even call him here?” Baekhyun asked Kyungsoo as the both of them sat opposite of Suho. Chanyeol had gone downstairs to search for food.

Suho looked zombified. His eyes were empty as he stared into blank space, unmoved and unfazed. He had been like that since the past 10 minute when Baekhyun and Kyungsoo had told him the truth about Chanyeol.

“I don’t know man I thought it would be good to have a doctor in case of emergencies”

Baekhyun understood Kyungsoo’s concern. He would have done the same if he were in Kyungsoo’s place. But he was glad that it was Suho that he had called instead of a random doctor.

“Do you think he will survive this?”

Baekhyun shrugged. “Wasn’t he always knee-deep into conspiracy theories and aliens and shit? Why is he reacting this way?”

“Well Baekhyun Devil isn’t entirely an alien, or maybe he is” Kyungsoo said, itching the bottom of his chin lightly.

“Suho?” Baekhyun called out, snapping his fingers in front of Suho’s hollow eyes.

“Let’s leave him here for a while. He will come around” Kyungsoo suggested, getting up and walking to the door.

“What kind of a best friend are you?” Baekhyun protested.

Kyungsoo sighed and walked back to where Suho was.

Without a warning, he slammed his hand across Suho’s face, slapping his cheeks into redness.

“What the fuck Soo?” Baekhyun asked, stopping Kyungsoo from slapping him once more. “What is wrong with you?”

“Well it worked” Kyungsoo said and they both turned to look at a very awake and startled Suho who had a hand over his cheek.

“This was revenge for when I slept with your ex girlfriend back in Senior School, wasn’t it?”

Kyungsoo shrugged, “Maybe” he said before bursting into laughter with Baekhyun.

“I hate you both” Suho muttered.

Baekhyun placed a hand on his shoulder in concern. “Are you okay?”

“Are you kidding me?” Suho said in an almost shrill voice that made Baekhyun think he was going to go bat-shit crazy on them. Baekhyun knew he should have never told Suho about this. But the three of them had been best friends since high-school and it wouldn’t be right to keep it a secret from either of them.

“I am psyched” Suho finished and both Kyungsoo and Baekhyun stared at him blankly.

“Wh… what?” Kyungsoo asked, a little concerned over how Suho was taking it better than he had.

“I am thrilled” Suho announced looking around, “where is he? I want to meet him” he said.

“I think we broke him” Kyungsoo whispered and Baekhyun started laughing.

Baekhyun and Kyungsoo stood behind the kitchen counter looking straight at the couch on the living room. Both of them were unsure of what was happening.

Out on the couch, Chanyeol sat with his back slumped, watching something on the TV and Suho sat three feet away and to his left, looking at him with a gaped mouth and wide eyes.

“What do you think he is doing?” Kyungsoo asked as he stared at Suho who wasn’t even blinking.

Baekhyun had no clue. One of his best friends was almost ready to kill Chanyeol when he found out the truth about him while the other looked smitten.

He wondered why he only had these two weirdos to call friends in his life.

“At this rate he’ll only leave once he is married to Chanyeol” Baekhyun said, sipping coffee.

“What would their kids look like?”

Baekhyun shrugged. “They’ll probably have tiny horns, a tail and would be red all over” he teased and Kyungsoo shot him a death glare. “Oh and have a pitchfork as well”

“It was a good design okay?”

“It looked like human spaghetti with a fork”

Kyungsoo scowled. “Isn’t it strange though that the Devil looks like an average human?”

Baekhyun looked at Chanyeol. Even in his human form he was way beyond average.

“That’s not what he looks like really”

Kyungsoo’s curiosity took a sudden jump and Baekhyun shook his head. “You don’t want to find out Soo. It will scare the fuck out of you and you might actually kill him this time around”

Kyungsoo rolled his lower lip out and threw in his classic puppy eyes at him. He knew Baekhyun would never refuse his request once he did that.

Baekhyun shut his eyes in frustration and sighed. “Fine” he said before taking another big sip of his coffee.

“What you see is just a human suit for him to blend with people. Beneath that he’s a…” Baekhyun’s words trailed off. What was Chanyeol beneath his exterior pretense?

“He’s what?” Kyungsoo asked, brimming with curiosity.

 _Monster_.

The word echoed in his mind.

“… he’s just bad news” Baekhyun said, reminding himself how he had allowed himself to be emotionally attached to the Devil in the past 2 days. Not a person or a dog, but the Devil! He needed to snap back to reality and so did everyone else around him. He needed to send Chanyeol back as soon as possible because going by what had happened recently, something told Baekhyun that keeping Chanyeol close was not something he should do. The Devil is nothing but chaos and destruction and Baekhyun had seen enough of both for one lifetime already.

“You really don’t want to know Soo. Whatever he holds under that skin, is nothing but horrifying and I need to send him back as soon as possible”

“How?”

“I don’t know yet but I won’t stop till I find out”

Both turned their eyes towards Chanyeol. Suho had promoted himself from sitting 3 feet away from Chanyeol, to 3 inches away, but Suho still wouldn’t stop looking at him.

“Will you stop staring at me?” Chanyeol asked for the nth time but Suho neither blinked nor reacted.

“Baekhyun” Chanyeol yelled finally. “Your friend is starting to creep me out”

Baekhyun shook his head and walked over to them.

He held Suho by his arm and propelled him up before dragging him back to the kitchen area with him.

“Come on Suho, stop being a dick” he said as pulled him across the room. Suho felt like dead weight.

Dinner was served, which Kyungsoo was generous enough to make. When he was done, Kyungsoo dropped on the couch in front of the TV like he would be dead. He snatched the controller from Chanyeol’s hand and randomly started switching channels.

“I was watching something” Chanyeol protested.

“Now you’re not” Kyungsoo replied.

Chanyeol gritted his teeth. “I don’t like you”

“Well the feeling’s mutual”

Chanyeol crossed his arms and leaned back on the couch with frustration.

“Bring me my food”

Kyungsoo sat up straight and looked straight at Chanyeol.

“Do you think I am your slave? Go get it yourself”

The words made Chanyeol scoff. “Do you know I had 10 boys like you at my service when I was last here back in the 6th century?”

Kyungsoo continued to stare at him. “This ain’t the 6th Century honey. We have things like human rights and anti slavery laws and this” he said, sticking his middle finger out.

Chanyeol gasped. “Did you flip me off?” He asked in shock. “I invented that and you used it against me?”

Kyungsoo smiled. “Now you’re getting a taste of your own medicine”

Chanyeol was about to say something when Baekhyun interrupted him.

“Dinner’s served guys”

The moment Chanyeol heard those precious words, he immediately forgot what he was about to say and with a sudden smile slapped across his face, he leaped out of the couch before jogging his way to the dinner table.

When he saw the food, his face dropped. “This is it?”

The food was decently enough for three people.

Kyungsoo stared at him with piercing eyes that could probably bore holes in the back of Chanyeol’s head.

“Oh shit” Baekhyun said, “I forgot you have the appetite of 700 hungry pigs”

“I won’t mind eating 700 hungry pigs though” Chanyeol gleefully replied and Suho broke out in a chuckle.

Chanyeol raised an eyebrow awkwardly and looked at him.

“What is wrong with you?” Chanyeol asked.

Suho did not say anything but continued to beam at him.

“This isn’t enough for me” Chanyeol complained to Baekhyun and before either could say anything else, Suho had already dialed the number to his favorite restaurant, which as everyone was aware of, didn’t deliver.

“What do you mean you can’t deliver?” Suho asked while Baekhyun indicated him hang up

“Let me speak to your owner” Suho ordered.

There was a momentary pause and then Suho spoke up again. “Hyung” he said into the phone, “It’s Suho”

He smiled at some pleasantries that were exchanged between the two.

“I want some food delivered hyung and your staff tells me it’s not possible” he cooed into the phone with a fake sulk.

“Really?” he suddenly asked and lit up. “I’ll text you the address. Send everything you have”

Baekhyun stared at Suho in disbelief when he hung up.

“You did not really have to order food from one of the best restaurants in the city you dumbass. Chanyeol is practically a dumpster. He will eat just about anything that passes off as edible”

Chanyeol nodded at Suho and then stopped. “Wait… that was an insult, wasn’t it?”

Kyungsoo laughed from the couch behind them and Chanyeol turned to give him a deadly stare.

In return, Kyungsoo stuck his tongue out at him.

Baekhyun couldn’t believe he was hosting three 5 year old kids in his house.

With a look of disappointment, he looked at Suho. “Call them and cancel. I’ll order Chinese from right around the corner”

“No” Suho said immediately. “I want our Chanyeol to have nothing but the best”

“ _Our?”_ came a unified voice of both Baekhyun and Kyungsoo.

“Just coz you’re rich doesn’t mean you should waste money Suho” Kyungsoo said passively.

“My money, my decision” Suho said when he saw Chanyeol proceeding to sit down. He immediately rushed over and pulled the chair for him.

Chanyeol turned his head. “You won’t make me fall will you?”

Suho chucked again like Chanyeol was the funniest creature to ever exist in the universe. “No silly, I am just making sure you’re comfortable”

Baekhyun sighed at the splendid fiasco unfolding in front of him and lazily turned to Kyungsoo. “You coming or should we just not leave anything for you?”

Kyungsoo did not have to be told twice.

Dinner went on like Baekhyun had suspected. Chanyeol who had no table or civic manners when it came to eating, was digging into everything with his hands. Suho kept gawking at Chanyeol, Kyungsoo kept fighting with Chanyeol over the same dishes they both wanted to eat even though there was enough for them all and Baekhyun ate in silence, wondering how his life had taken a complete flip in the past two days.

Halfway through eating, the doorbell buzzed.

“It must be the food” Suho said, pulling the black credit card out of his pocket.

“I’ll get it” Baekhyun interrupted, pulling _his_ black card out and placing it on the table.

Kyungsoo saw them and slammed his own black card on the table. “I am not using my money on him”

The bell chimed again and Suho and Baekhyun looked into each other’s eyes for a moment, as if deciding who would get to pay.

For a flicker of second amidst the stare, Suho looked at Kyungsoo and winked.

“Race you to it” he said getting up at lightning speed.

Baekhyun tried to get up within a fraction of second after Suho but sank back down when a weight pulled him in. He found Kyungsoo holding on to his t-shirt.

“Traitor” Baekhyun hissed and Kyungsoo smiled.

Chanyeol just kept eating like nothing around him existed.

“Baekhyun” Suho called out from the door. “Come here”

“Is his card not working?” Baekhyun asked before walking away from the table and to where Suho was.

Kyungsoo turned his attention to Chanyeol who didn’t take his eyes off the food and ate like a barbarian.

“It won’t run away, you know?” Kyungsoo said before placing a spoon in Chanyeol’s hand.

“Eat like a human for fuck sake. At least till you’re here” with these words Kyungsoo lifted his own spoon and showed Chanyeol how to use it. The latter followed it enthusiastically.

“That’s more like it” Kyungsoo said with a smile when he saw Chanyeol eat properly and upon seeing his reaction, Chanyeol smiled back, feeling a little proud.

“Kai” Baekhyun let out when he reached the door where Suho was standing. “What brings you here?”

Kai looked from him to Suho and finally set his eyes on Baekhyun again.

“I went to your office coz I was free and I thought we could have dinner but your secretary told me you were sick so I rushed here”

Baekhyun smiled. “Come on in”

Suho set a pair of glaring eyes on Kai as he entered.

“Oh you have more company” Kai sounded disappointed. “Did I interrupt something?”

“Nonsense” Baekhyun waved off. “We were just done with our dinner. Are you still hungry? We have more food coming up”

Kai nodded at Baekhyun’s invitation as the latter led him into the living room.

“Guys can you do the dishes?” Baekhyun asked the rest. Suho hated doing dishes but when he saw Chanyeol nodding at Baekhyun’s question, he began nodding frantically as well.

Kyungsoo began picking everything up from the table.

“I am not done yet” Chanyeol complained.

“Are you going to eat the cutlery too?” Kyungsoo pulled on the china, trying to take it away from Chanyeol’s hand.

“Let it go” Kyungsoo said through gritting teeth.

“Let me finish” Chanyeol responded, pulling the plate from his end.

“There is nothing left on the plate you idiot” Kyungsoo grabbed on to it tighter and so did Chanyeol.

Chanyeol growled in anger and Kyungsoo let go of the dish which recoiled back, slipping through Chanyeol’s hand before flying through the air and directly crashing into the wall behind him.

Kai looked at them in a concern. “Is everything alright?” he asked Baekhyun who just casually shrugged it off.

“Never mind them” he brushed off even if his mind was constantly on the three idiots at the dinner table.

“What are they talking about?” Kyungoo asked, from Chanyeol’s right, handing him the washed dishes after cleaning each, for Chanyeol to wipe off the water.

“I don’t know” Suho answered from Chanyeol’s left, placing the clean dishes on the dish rack after Chanyeol was done wiping them. All three had their eyes stuck on Kai and Baekhyun.

“I don’t like him” Suho said and Kyungsoo nodded after him. “I don’t like him either”

“I don’t trust him” Kyungso continued.

“Yep” Suho said, nodding his head and squinting his eyes. “I definitely do not trust him either”

Chanyeol first looked to his right and then to his left and sighed. Being stuck between these two was worse than being stuck on earth without knowing how to get back to Hell.

“What are you guys talking about?” Chanyeol asked. “Kai is nice”

“And how would you know what nice is?” Kyungsoo scoffed. “You’re nothing but evil and vile and malicious and bossy. How would a thing like you know what nice means?”

Chanyeol looked at Kyungsoo before placing the bowl he was holding, on the kitchen counter.

Without a word, he turned around and walked back upstairs.

“That was too harsh Soo” Suho said.

“No it was not”

“Didn’t you fucking see his face? He was genuinely hurt by what you said”

Kyungsoo sighed, wondering if he really was too harsh.

“Fine. I’ll go apologise”

Kyungsoo reached Baekhyun’s room to find a very sulky and hurt Chanyeol sitting with this back against the bed post and legs curled up to his chest.

Kyungsoo wondered if he should ask for permission but then he realized it was Baekhyun’s house, not Chanyeol’s.

“Stop sulking” Kyungsoo said looking out the window and twisting his right leg on its toe. “And stop looking like I dumped you after you confessed your feelings for me”

Chanyeol did not say anything. He continued to not look at Kyungsoo.

“I am sorry okay, don’t a bitch!”

“What is your problem with me?” Chanyeol snapped. “Have I done something to offend you? I don’t remember being anything but nice to you”

Kyungsoo finally swerved his eyes around and looked at Chanyeol. “That’s the problem. I can’t figure you out”

“What is that even supposed to mean?” Chanyeol shot out in an angry growl.

“Why are you nice to me or Baekhyun or anyone when you’re the Devil? Satan himself? You’re supposed to be bad and malefic. Aren’t you called the bringer of chaos and destruction? If you’re all that, then why are you pretending to be nice? What is your motive?”

Chanyeol looked at him. “Is that what you all think about me?”

“What is there to think Chanyeol?” Kyungsoo sighed. “Is none of it true?”

Chanyeol faintly heard the doorbell ring from up in the room.

“The food’s here” he said, hoisting himself up and walking to the door. Kyungsoo watched him, noticing how devoid Chanyeol looked of energy at this point.

Before walking out, Chanyeol turned around.

“You’re in the designing department in Baekhyun’s company, aren’t you?”

Kyungsoo nodded, wondering why he was suddenly so interested. Could it be that he was still mad about the designs Kyungsoo had made of the Devil?

“Is that all you are? A designer?”

Kyungsoo arched his eyebrows. “Of course not. Designing is just my job. It doesn’t define me. I am also a good cook, a good friend, a person who loves to read books, someone who values relationship and many other things.”

Chanyeol smiled. “That’s what it is for me too. What I do in Hell is just a job I have been assigned to Kyungsoo. It’s just something I do because someone has to do it. I was an angel before I was the Devil and before I became the king of hell. What I do, doesn’t define me”

Kyungsoo stared at him for a moment, sinking each work Chanyeol was saying.

“I am sorry I tried to kill you” he said.

“You did what now?” Chanyeol asked with a gaped mouth but Kyungsoo quickly rushed past him and back downstairs.

When Kai had seen Chanyeol run upstairs, he settled himself down properly. He had been filling the conversation with random stuff until now because he didn’t want to talk in front of Chanyeol.

“I am sorry I had to run away like that” he suddenly said.

Baekhyun was taken aback but he shook his head, taking Kai’s hand in his. “It’s okay. But can I ask you why you had to leave so abruptly?”

Kai took a deep breath. “When I heard Chanyeol talk about the site we’d found, at first I thought he was making stuff up but then I suddenly remembered this story my grandmother used to tell me when I was a kid. I had completely forgotten about it until I heard Chanyeol’s story”

“Are they the same story?” Baekhyun asked and to his anticipation, Kai nodded.

“So what’s so strange about it?”

Kai looked a little out of place and nervous upon hearing the question. “Back then, before the White Witch was burned, a young girl named Ohseon was the protectors of the White Witch, or so my grandmother used to say. When the White Witch knew what the Black Witch was up to, she realised her death was near so she sent Ohseon into hiding. The Black Witch unleashed her terror throughout the lands. She killed the White witch and then hunted every person down who was associated with her. Even people she had treated once and never saw again in their lives. She killed thousands of people and it is believed that she unleashed a monstrous creature on everyone. It was as tall as the trees and had bat like wings. Do you know how it killed everyone?”

Baekhyun was too lost in the story to realize that he should have answered. So he simply shook his head.

“It ate people alive Baek” Kai said with a look of horror on his face. “The monster ate men, women and children alive”

Baekhyun was still trying to grasp the story. “How did your grandmother even know about this?”

Kai pursed his lips. “That young girl Ohseon…” Kai said with a pause. “I am from her lineage. She was my ancestor”

Baekhyun shook his head to come to terms.

“I know you don’t believe in such things Baek but please trust me on this” Kai said and Baekhyun looked at him empathetically.

“You’d be surprised by what I believe in Kai” he said softly and Kai smiled.

Getting the cue he wanted, Kai continued. “Baek the reason I am telling you all this is that this story has always been a family secret sworn by blood. No one knows about this, we don’t even have written records anywhere for this, so imagine my surprise when I heard Chanyeol say the things that have never left our family’s walls”

Baekhyun spared a glance at Chanyeol and for a fleeting second, he wondered if the monster Kai was referring to, was Chanyeol. After all, he had said that he was summoned right around when this event had taken place and he never mentioned anything else about it.

But Baekhyun also knew it couldn’t be possible. Kai had described the monster to be very tall and having wings. Baekhyun had seen Chanyeol’s true form. Chanyeol was tall but he was hardly as tall as the trees. And as for the bat-like wings, Baekhyun was sure he must have noticed two big, bat-like flaps protruding out his back.

“Baekhyun I don’t think you should trust him” Kai finally said, letting his intentions known.


	6. Chapter 6

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**_His touches were like fire_ **   
**_That ignited my soul_ **   
**_And now that he’s gone_ **   
**_I would burn everyday_ **   
**_Just to keep his memories alive_ **

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Everything in life is temporary. Baekhyun understood this philosophy. Baekhyun owned this philosophy. He had seen all too much in a very short span of time to know nothing was eternal. To him, everything that happened in life was just a page in a book that was bound together by fate and most stories in those pages may not even be connected.

In the past few years, work and ambition had wedged a distance between Baekhyun and his friends. Kyungsoo, even though was still with Baekhyun at PreCorYun, was still bound by his roles under the establishment. Suho, who worked at his father’s hospital as a surgeon, had to live up to the expectation of his parents and had to prove his worth to himself in a daily struggle to be able to live a self-approved life.

Adult life was complicated and Baekhyun hated every bit of it. Life was simpler when they were kids and did not have to worry about what the future held. Like nothing else mattered except them. Even though Baekhyun had always been the cautious type, Suho and Kyungsoo created a perfect balance in his life, keeping him sane, motivated and wanted.

And despite all that, he didn’t even remember the last time they’d just sat together for a meal like this.

Baekhyun’s eyes drifted over to Chanyeol as they sat out on the patio, around the table that Kyungsoo had helped in making, telling Baekhyun how it would be nice to have a meal with people you love under the stars. Baekhyun couldn’t help but feel grateful at how this was the first time in five years that they were all together with him, like old times. And it was Chanyeol who made this happen.

Chanyeol was eating with surprisingly better table manners than previously and Baekhyun was unable to wrap his head around the transformation. Not only that, Chanyeol was also eating slower than he usually did.

Well it was mostly because Suho wouldn’t let Chanyeol eat anything on his own and was constantly feeding him with his own hands, never taking his eyes off the latter even once.

“Since when do you eat with your left hand?” Kyungsoo asked Baekhyun who was digging into his food uncomfortably with the non dominant one.

“Umm… I” Baekhyun began and suddenly he found Chanyeol staring at him.

“Are you okay?” Chanyeol asked. “Is your hand still hurting?”

“I am fine” Baekhyun muttered; a little taken aback because he thought he heard a hint of concern in Chanyeol’s voice.

Kai smiled at them and raised his left hand up, showing that it was tightly gripped around Baekhyun’s right one.

Both Suho and Kyungsoo squinted at him.

“So how long have you two been dating?” Kyungsoo asked out of the blue, looking at Kai.

“Just a couple of months” Baekhyun replied and Kai nodded.

It irritated Kyungsoo that he had asked Kai the question and Baekhyun responded on his behalf.

“Male can’t answer his own questions” Kyungsoo softly whispered.

“What?” Kai asked, pretty sure he had heard what Kyungsoo said.

“Nothing” Kyungsoo shrugged.

“Did you guys have sex yet?” Suho asked next making Kai choke on his food.

“Suho” Baekhyun yelled. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“Male is shy and easily shocked. Also possibly has a fetish as he refuses to talk about something as normal as sex” Suho whispered.

“What the fuck are you guys even doing?” Baekhyun began to get agitated but Kai asked him to calm down.

With a smile, Kai turned to both Suho and Kyungsoo.

“It has been a little over 4 months since we started dating” he said looking and Kyungsoo and then at Suho with the same smile. “And yes we have had sex. Multiple times. Sometimes 5 times in a row”

“Nice” Chanyeol suddenly said raising is hand for a high five which Kai reluctantly met.

Both Suho and Kyungsoo gritted their teeth at him.

“Male gets hurt easily” Kyungsoo whispered next and Baekhyun snapped.

“Stop acting like a kid Kyungsoo or so help me god I am going to beat the shit out of you”

“God won’t help” Chanyeol casually said and went on eating, making Suho and Kyungsoo chuckle.

“So” Kai said, turning tables. “How do you guys know each other?”

“Suho, Baekhyun and I go way back. We’re friends from school”

Baekhyun interrupted. “And as you know, Chanyeol is my friend from college” he said, giving Suho and Kyungsoo signals to go along with the story.

“So have you guys met before?” Kai pointed at the three sitting opposite of him and all of them shook their heads.

“First time today” Kyungsoo said and Chanyeol mouthed “AND YOU TRIED TO KILL ME” at him at which Kyungsoo crunched his nose angrily.

“But it feels like I have known him forever” Suho sighed, staring at Chanyeol through dreamy eyes at which the latter shook his head before turning to Baekhyun with a face that screamed “HELP ME”

Baekhyun just laughed at how stupid the three of them were being.

Kai looked at each of them and suddenly something ugly rose inside of him. Although he was not able to point it out, he found something odd about Chanyeol. Especially now that he saw how close Suho and Kyungsoo seemed to be to him, considering how they’d met only a few hours ago.

His mind ran off to how Chanyeol knew his family secret, that too with so much intricate details that even he wasn’t aware of.

Kai noticed how Suho seemed to have gone bonkers, showering his affection on Chanyeol while Kyungsoo looked at the two of them and smiled. Kai turned his eyes to Baekhyun who was also staring at Chanyeol with a strange look in his eyes.

“He has many qualities, one of which is that he is a charmer”

Kai’s grandmother’s words echoed in his mind. Even though his grandmother died a few years ago, her words rang fresh like it was only yesterday Kai had heard these things from her. Kai admitted how smitten he was himself when he had seen Chanyeol for the first time. It was the like guy exhumed an air of instant attraction.

Thinking that he was probably at a stretch, Kai tried to take his mind off it. His eyes fell on the food that was almost half finished and he noticed that it was only Chanyeol who was eating and no one else.

“Are you sure you guys can finish all this?” Kai asked curiously.

Baekhyun smiled at him. “Chanyeol’s enough for that”

Kai stared at Chanyeol wondering how he could eat all of that alone.

“He has the appetite of a hundred men”

As each word said by Kai’s grandmother resonated in his mind, Kai looked more and more worried.

“Well I must get going” he said, getting up. “I have to prepare for an early lecture tomorrow so you guys continue”

He turned to leave so suddenly that Baekhyun hardly had time to ask him to stay longer.

“I’ll see him out” he said and ran behind Kai.

“Kai” Baekhyun stopped him near the door. “What’s wrong?”

Kai didn’t say anything.

Baekhyun didn’t really want to let Kai walk out like last time. Not to mention that he actually liked Kai more than he thought he did. “Tell me what’s wrong?”

“Nothing Baekhyun”

Kai let out a breath and took Baekhyun’s hand in his.

“Remember what I said Baek…” he started. “… you can’t trust him”

“Is this… is this about Chanyeol?” Baekhyun asked with a laugh.

“No Baek, of course not. I…”

“You what Kai?”

“I don’t know okay. I don’t know how to explain it to you”

“Explain what exactly?” Baekhyun was starting to think that maybe he had dragged the relationship more than he should have. But until 2 days ago, Kai was just the kind of guy Baekhyun liked. 2 days ago, until the Devil showed up.

“I don’t know Baek just give me time okay. I promise I will explain everything”

Baekhyun nodded. He didn’t want to push more than he already had.

Kai smiled.

“Now come here” he said before pulling Baekhyun in for a sudden kiss.

Baekhyun immediately snaked his arms around Kai’s waist, drawing him closer while Kai gripped his mane with conviction.

“You’re acting all brave” Baekhyun mocked. It was usually him who had to break Kai out of his shyness.

“It’s my way of making it up to you” Kai whispered with a smile before leaving.

“There are literally 3 separate rooms for the three of you in this house” Baekhyun marched with protest in his room. “Why the fuck do you need to sleep in mine? Why the fuck do you need to sleep in this house to begin with? Go back to your own places”

None of the three acknowledged his words.

“Baekhyun do you remember back in high school when I or Kyungsoo would fight with our parents and bunk with you in your house instead?”

Baekhyun remembered. Those were the only things that made him cherish his life after his mother passed away. Even though the house was small and cramped, it was the only thing his mother had left behind and Baekhyun loved it to bits. He still refused to sell it even after shifting to the new house he owned.

Back then, when Suho and Kyungsoo visited, the three of them would place the mats on the floor and sleep in that small space. Despite coming from very rich families that gave them every luxury they needed, Kyungsoo and Suho found more peace when they slept on the floor in Baekhyun’s house.

“This will be just like that” Kyungsoo intervened.

“We are not 15 anymore” Baekhyun refuted.

“Oh come on Baek, don’t be a spoilsport” Suho pleaded who was actually just looking for a reason to sleep next to Chanyeol.

“Don’t forget that it was during one of those sleepovers that you discovered you were gay” Kyungsoo laughed and Suho laughed with him. Chanyeol looked at all three of them in amusement.

“Kyungsoo what the fuck?” Baekhyun cried.

Kyungsoo in turn looked at Chanyeol. “Chanyeol do you know how Baekhyun found out he was gay?”

“The fuck Soo he doesn’t have to know, no one has to know”

Kyungsoo didn’t pay Baekhyun any attention. “Once I and Suho fought with our parents deliberately during a summer holiday because our parents had signed up for various extra classes and we didn’t get to meet Baekhyun for over three weeks.” Kyungsoo began.

“Stop” Baekhyun said but Suho shushed him down. Chanyeol positioned himself properly to listen to Kyungsoo with complete attention.

“That day we had decided that we won’t go back home for at least 2 days. We usually just stayed overnight but we really missed Baekhyun. I had just broken up with my girlfriend from school and I was heartbroken so I needed some time to just chill with my bros. Suho’s parents were stressing on him to become a doctor so he was also flipped and needed some time to lay off steam. Anyway, we were what? 17?” Kyungsoo asked and Suho nodded.

“So there we were, three 17 year olds, in a crucial year of grade school, one giving up on his parents, one on love and one on life, bunked in a small room with hardly any space to breathe. We were just sitting and whining when our genius surgeon here…” Kyungsoo pointed at Suho and the latter took a bow, “… opened his bag and pulled out a bottle of scotch he had stolen from his father’s cabinet.”

Chanyeol was beginning to get interested. For some reason, anything about Baekhyun interested him.

“After we were half sloshed, we decided to hit a nightclub. Now I being the most notorious of the lot had made these idiots fake IDs but they refused to use it. Until that night. Baekhyun was very reluctant in the beginning but when we forced some drinks down that throat, he agreed. We got in the club, danced for almost an hour when Baekhyun wanted to use the restroom. Soon he came back with a very shocked expression on his face. When I asked him what was up, he said he had just kissed a guy. I brushed it off but then he kept stressing on the fact that it was a guy he kissed, as in a boy and he liked it”

Kyungsoo was beaming when he saw Baekhyun hide his face in his hands.

“I told him it was fine and there was no big deal about it but then he started crying” Kyungsoo laughed at this so hard Chanyeol thought he would fall off the bed.

“When I asked him why he was crying, he turned to me and said, “How will I have babies now?””

Both Suho and Kyungsoo clutched their stomachs with mad laughter and Chanyeol looked at Baekhyun with a wide smile spread across his face. Baekhyun was still hiding and shaking his head.

Cute, a voice inside Chanyeol’s head said but was drowned soon when Kyungsoo regained his composure.

“And you know the best part?” he asked and Chanyeol shook his head.

“When I asked him who it was, Baekhyun started crying more and called himself a whore for 15 minutes because he hadn’t seen the face of the guy he had kissed”

Suho was laughing outrageously. “How can you not see the face of the guy you kissed Baekhyun?” he asked, rolling on the bed.

Baekhyun finally raised his head. “It was dark and we were in the washroom, okay! Plus I was dead drunk”

Suho began laughing more as Baekhyun sunk deeper in embarrassment.

“You guys are so much fun” Chanyeol said like a toddler who had just discovered animation. “I wish I had friends like you”

Suddenly the atmosphere became colder. “Don’t you? Like where you come from?” Kyungsoo asked.

“Hell you mean?” the Devil shook his head. “I am the King of Hell. I have servants and worshippers, but I never had any friend”

Out of nowhere they heard faint sobs coming from somewhere. All turned to see that Suho was crying softly.

“I am sorry Chanyeol. That must suck a lot” he gasped and jumped on to Chanyeol to hug him.

The sleeping arrangement was particularly off. At first Kyungsoo and Suho were adamant on sleeping on the same bed as Baekhyun but the latter put his foot down.

“You either sleep on the floor or get out”

“But it’s the middle of the night and it is cold. Do you want us to freeze to death?” Suho asked.

Baekhyun looked at his bed that even though was king sized, would only accommodate them all if they were keen on sleeping stuck to each other, which Baekhyun was not.

“You three sleep here I am going to the next room” he announced.

“Uh hu… I am sleeping downstairs on the couch” Chanyeol said sternly. He was in no mood to share the room or the bed, especially considering how Suho was hell-bent on not leaving him alone. And even though there were other rooms available, Chanyeol felt most at ease on the couch.

Suho tried to protest to both but neither budged.

Baekhyun was about to step out of the room when Kyungsoo spoke.

“You know Chanyeol, there are many stories about Baekhyun that might interest you”

Chanyeol nodded enthusiastically as Baekhyun made a sharp turn and looked at Kyungsoo with horror in his eyes.

“I will kill you” he whispered and Kyungsoo smiled.

“I am sure I have enough to even share with your boyfriend”

Baekhyun closed his eyes in frustration. “What do you want?”

“You” Kyungsoo said, “On this bed, right now”

“That’s tempting Kyungsoo buy I am gay for literally anything that’s not you” Baekhyun snapped making Kyungsoo scoff. “Tell whomever you want, whatever you want, I don’t care”.

With that Baekhyun stormed off to the other spare room, silently hoping Kyungsoo would just shut up.

“Well” Chanyeol interrupted. “I am off too” he said, leaving Kyungsoo and Suho alone.

“I guess it’s just the two of us then” Kyungsoo exclaimed.

“At least Baekhyun didn’t kick us out” Suho said, pulling the duvet up and sliding on the bed.

“I know. It’s odd.”

“You’re so powerful Baekhyun” a woman smiled, caressing a 4 year old Baekhyun’s face as he smiled back at her. He did not recognize the woman but she felt oddly familiar. “You have so much of your grandmother’s goodness inside of you” the woman said.

Baekhyun turned to look at his grandmother but her face was distorted.

Baekhyun started crying,

Suddenly someone was holding him in their arms and rocking him to sleep.

“It’s okay Baekhyun” a woman’s soothing voice said. “Don’t cry baby. Mum and dad will be back soon”

Baekhyun watched his father walk away from his mother and him. “I will not take your responsibility on me” were the last words he spoke.

“You’re the only one I have left Baekhyun” another frail, ancient voice spoke. “But I have to keep you safe”

“Baekhyun” it was Chanyeol’s voice. “I will drag you to hell with me”

Baekhyun began crying again.

The same soothing voice came back. “I’ll keep you safe Baekhyun, you mother will keep you safe”

“No” a 4 year old Baekhyun sobbed. “I want my mum and dad back”

“Your parents are dead” a man’s voice echoed. “They’ll never come back”

Baekhyun drew a heavy breath and opened his eyes. It took a few seconds for him to realize that it was a dream.

He involuntarily touched his face only to realized that he had been crying.

“It was a dream, it was just a dream” Baekhyun whispered to himself but couldn’t help thinking that this was the second time he had seen the same nightmare this week. But he still didn’t know what it meant.

As he sunk in the surroundings, the darkness of the night blinded his vision and he struggled to keep his thoughts straight. Checking his phone, Baekhyun saw it was just 1 am.

Panting from suddenly waking up, Baekhyun looked around for water but soon realized he was not in his room so he decided to go downstairs to get some.

Chanyeol woke up to noises of clutter coming from the fridge. He thought it was Baekhyun or one of his friends but when his eyes adjusted to silhouette, he found a very familiar outline.

“What are you doing here?” Chanyeol asked, making sure he was not loud enough to wake the rest of the people in the house.

The creature turned around, closed the fridge and slowly walked towards where Chanyeol was sitting. It was dark and he wasn’t quite visible, but Chanyeol could see him as clear as he could in daylight.

“I have been watching you since yesterday” the creature growled.

“I know Sehun. You can hide from the humans but you can’t hide from me” Chanyeol replied as he turned to face Sehun, his most loyal demon.

“How long will you stay here?” Sehun asked. “Hell won’t function without you”

“Well it’s a good thing it has you then”

“Chanyeol, this is not the time for jokes. You know as well as I do that they think of only you as the king. I am just a servant”

“I’ve asked you to not call yourself that” Chanyeol protested.

“But that’s why I was made, to serve you. And I have no purpose if I do not have a king to serve”

Chanyeol remained silent.

“It’s not up to me anymore, is it?” Chanyeol finally asked. “I need to be here until the human finds a way to send me back”

Sehun looked at him with concern. “Why are you being so nice to him? This isn’t like you. You are acting tame”

Chanyeol sighed. “I can’t risk what happened last time. If I have to pretend to be weak, I must do it if I have to go back to hell”

Sehun nodded. “I am staying here with you then”

“What?” Chanyeol asked in shock. “Are you out of your mind?”

“I do not trust these humans; not after what they did to you last time”

“These people are different from her. They are actually nice”

“Until when exactly? She was nice too, all those centuries ago, until she found out what she could do, what she could do to you”

Chanyeol shook his head. “It’s not the same. The man who summoned me, did it by mistake”

“Mistake?” Sehun scoffed, “there is no such thing as a mistake”

“Sehun you can’t stay here. Baekhyun and her are not the same people”

“You still think from that angel heart of yours, don’t you?” Sehun asked. “You were an angel once, long ago. Long before time existed. But you’ve been the Devil far longer than you’ve been an angel. Use that brain of yours for once”

Chanyeol smiled. Sehun mocking him usually meant he was not angry anymore.

“You worry too much Sehun” Chanyeol said, placing a hand on Sehun’s shoulder. “These people are not like her, they don’t want to hurt me. Especially not Baekhyun”

“He is not what you think he is, but there are some who are more dangerous to you” Sehun said and Chanyeol scrunched his eyebrows in confusion.

“What does that even mean?” Chanyeol was curious. His powers in human form and on earth were limited. Summoning by blood made him bound to the human who summoned him and the infliction of wounds made him almost useless. On earth, he was not as strong as he was in Hell. He was barely stronger than an average human being. A few tricks now and then were easy. But things like stopping time, like he had done last time, made him suffer more, especially in the absence of the summoner.

Chanyeol knew that day that whether Baekhyun was present there or not, he would still get the wounded if he used magic as forbidden as messing with time. And yet he had done it. For Baekhyun’s friend. Chanyeol knew he was getting more attached to Baekhyun than he should. He also knew what would happen if he lingered on earth too long with him and his friends. And now Sehun was saying Baekhyun wasn’t what Chanyeol thought he was? If he had his own powers, Chanyeol would easily find out what Sehun meant. But since he was at the pits of his existence, all he could do was wonder.

Chanyeol wanted to trust Sehun but he knew Sehun’s powers were to a certain limit faulty. He had the ability to see a person’s darkness but the problem was, Sehun was a very sensitive creature. To him, there was no difference between killing a fly and killing a human.

“A soul is a soul” he often used to say. And thus, his belief made him see the darkness in everything.

Before Sehun could reply to the question Chanyeol had asked, a voice interrupted them.

“Chanyeol?” Baekhyun’s sleepy voice called out, turning the lights of the living room on. “What are you…”

Baekhyun eyes suddenly fell on the creature standing next to Chanyeol and he gasped.

What stood before him was something otherworldly. Something that gave off an air of being sinister and Baekhyun could feel the chills on his skin. It had pure black eyes, and vein like tattoos that crawled up his neck onto the sides of his face. He was dressed in all black, or was it just his skin? There were sharp scales all over its body and it made Baekhyun fear things he didn’t even know about. Then Baekhyun’s eyes travelled to its forehead.

“Horns” Baekhyun shrieked. “He has horns”

Sehun blinked when he saw Baekhyun and suddenly the blackness of his eyes were reduced to ordinary looking, human eyes.

“You’re the human summoner, aren’t you?” Sehun asked, taking a step towards Baekhyun. “I am Sehun, Chanyeol’s ser…”

“Second in command” Chanyeol interrupted. “In Hell”

Baekhyun did not move. He felt like he was in a nightmare, again.

“I…” Baekhyun began, turning to Chanyeol. “You…” he was struggling to find the right words. “What are you?” he finally asked, looking at Sehun.

“I am a demon of course” Sehun replied.

Baekhyun’s eyes flew open wider than he imagined. “You’re here to take me to hell, aren’t you?”

“I would love to sweety” Sehun said, checking Baekhyun out. “But I’ll have to take a rain check on that. I am actually here for Chanyeol”

“Do you know how to send him back?” Baekhyun suddenly asked and Chanyeol had to admit he felt a little disappointed that Baekhyun wanted him gone. But then again, he was never meant to stay on earth anyway.

“Not yet but I sure as hell would help you figure it out” Sehun replied with a smile that revealed his fang like teeth, making Baekhyun gasp once again.

Sehun turned to Chanyeol. “Chanyeol, a little help here, maybe?”

Chanyeol understood what he meant and immediately snapped his fingers, transforming Sehun into something more human-like.

Baekhyun stared in awe as Sehun began to look less and less like a demon from hell. His horns and fangs were gone. The scales were blended onto his skin, like it was absorbing them. The tattoo, or so Baekhyun thought, was not reaching his face anymore but ended right at his neck and Baekhyun realized that Sehun was in fact, drop dead gorgeous.

“Is he…” Baekhyun asked Chanyeol . “Is he going to stay here?”

“No he is not” Chanyeol immediately replied.

“Yes I am” Sehun interrupted. “My duty is to protect Chanyeol, no matter what”

“This is all too much to process so early in the morning” Baekhyun said, shaking his head and retreating to the living room to sit down. Chanyeol immediately rushed to the fridge and fished out a bottle of water before taking it to Baekhyun.

“Thanks” Baekhyun said, taking the bottle from Chanyeol and sipping the water down, one gulp and a time.

Sehun looked at Chanyeol in curiosity. Something was different about him.

“You” Baekhyun said, suddenly standing up and looking at Sehun. “You can’t stay here”

“Really?” Sehun asked with a smile.

Baekhyun nodded his head. “But you can visit whenever you want, check on him, see if things are fine, but then you go back”

“Deal” Sehun said, smiling at Baekhyun.

Baekhyun made coffee and placed them on the coffee table by the couch in the living room.

“I see you’ve been hurt twice now” Sehun said to Chanyeol and involuntarily turned towards Baekhyun who was sipping coffee quietly.

“It’s my fault” Baekhyun said with overflowing guilt.

“It’s not really” Sehun assured him. “The first time was a mistake and the second time was his fault for using his powers and messing with time. You did everything you could to save him”

Baekhyun gave a weak smile and even Chanyeol could tell that Sehun liked Baekhyun. Had it been anyone else, he would have torn them limb to limb by now.

“I still don’t get it though” Baekhyun said looking at Chanyeol. “The first time I needed to heal you, I could only do it with my blood so how exactly did I heal you the second time?”

“When you used your blood to make the symbols on me, you marked me, uniting us by blood. The first selfless sacrifice was enough to create a strong bond that would heal me just by your touch”

It all still seemed like a farfetched dream-like theory so Baekhyun just nodded.

“And it’s time to break that bond” Sehun interrupted as both Chanyeol and Baekhyun turned to look at him in surprise.

“Sehun…” Chanyeol said, unable to believe what he was hearing.

Sehun laughed. “Do you think I would sit idle for all these centuries knowing something could hurt you that bad especially after seeing what happened…”

His voice trailed off. “After all the trouble you keep getting into? I know how to break the connection”

Chanyeol looked relieved and relaxed. “How?”

“We’ll need a few things for the ritual but it won’t take too long”

“Will it stop him from hurting when I’m not around?” Baekhyun asked, full of concern.

Sehun nodded. “Most definitely. You two can live your separate lives until you figure out how to send him back. You don’t have to live together, meet or even talk to each other until then”

“When can we do it?” Chanyeol asked and Baekhyun wondered if he was keen breaking the bond quickly.

“Right now” Sehun said, observing the two of them.

“Tonight’s pretty soon” Baekhyun muttered nervously and Chanyeol threw himself back on the couch, imitating Baekhyun’s laughter.

“Yeah I mean it’s too soon” Chanyeol said.

“And there are two other people in the house right now” Baekhyun said, standing up nervously and pacing around.

“Right” Chanyeol muttered, running his hand through his hair. “We don’t want anyone else to find out about this, do we?”

Sehun looked at the two of them with a subtle smile on his face.

“Fine” he said, standing up. “We can’t do it tonight anyway. The things we need for the ritual will take time for me to find”

Chanyeol stared at him in dumbfounded expression. Sehun was mocking him.

Sehun turned towards Baekhyun.

“You don’t have to break the bond of you want, but if you do, draw blood from your palm and call my name, I’ll come. You can still choose to live together even after the bond’s broken though. Just saying” Sehun teased with a wink.

Before either could refute his words, Sehun vanished in thin air.

“You better go back to sleep” Chanyeol said as he took the coffee mugs back to the kitchen.

Baekhyun was a little reluctant to move from where he was sitting. For some reason the thought of not having Chanyeol around was odd. It had only been two days since he’d met Chanyeol and yet he’d become such a big part of Baekhyun’s life.

But another thought that made Baekhyun reluctant to go to his room was the dream he’d seen. The thought of the nightmare returning made him jittery in ways he didn’t even know was possible. Baekhyun found it oddly amusing that he literally had the Devil, the embodiment of everything evil, right in his living room and yet he was scared of a mere nightmare?

“Is something wrong?” Chanyeol asked with concern.

He suddenly places his hand on Baekhyun’s forehead as the latter shivered at the touch. “Are you not well?” Chanyeol asked.

“I am fine” Baekhyun said.

“Then what’s wrong?” Chanyeol’s voice was soothing and like music to his ears.

“Nightmares” Baekhyun said softly, cursing himself for saying it out loud. He was sure Chanyeol would laugh at him.

“Do you want me to be there until you fall asleep?”

Baekhyun shot Chanyeol a surprising look. Out of all the things he had expected Chanyeol to say, he never in a millions years would have expected this.

Before he could understand his own mind, Baekhyun found himself nodding to Chanyeol’s request.

The latter gladly took Baekhyun’s hand in his and led the way, all the way up the stairs to the room.

Baekhyun’s was a light sleeper but he had not realized how quickly he had fallen into slumber with Chanyeol next to him. Chanyeol had initially been sitting there quietly as he oversaw Baekhyun drifting off but his own eyes started getting heavier by the minute and before he knew it, he was lying next to Baekhyun.

Baekhyun’s sleep was only broken when he felt a hand weighing him down by his waist. Chanyeol had turned over and was now sleeping with his chest pressed against Baekhyun’s back.

Baekhyun knew he wouldn’t be able to doze off now. He was not used to anyone on his bed, sleeping so close to him. Even in the various relations he’d been in, Baekhyun made it a point to never have sleepovers after sex. No matter what time of the night it was, he would take it on himself to drop them off. And right now, Chanyeol was too close. Closer than anyone Baekhyun had ever let.

So as he lay with his back to Chanyeol who was fast asleep, sleep seemed like a distant destination. Baekhyun could feel the warmth that spread through the room even if it was a particularly cold night. It was the warmth Baekhyun felt being exhumed from Chanyeol.

As Chanyeol’s breath abraded through Baekhyun’s exposed neck, Baekhyun felt the hair on the back of his neck rising. It was an alien feeling but definitely not something he disliked.

Baekhyun rose his head lightly to check on Chanyeol to perhaps wake him and ask him to move away. But the peaceful look that Baekhyun saw on his face, made him want to let Chanyeol sleep just as he was.

Knowing that he wouldn’t be able to get a wink of sleep anymore, Baekhyun decided to sleep in the other spare room but the moment he tried to move, Chanyeol’s hand snaked around him tighter and he pulled Baekhyun near, wrapping both his hands around him.

Baekhyun almost shrieked when he felt a pair of moist lips press against the nape of his neck. The hot breath that escaped the lips sent shivers down his spine. What was Chanyeol doing?

Baekhyun tried to recollect his thoughts when he felt another kiss on his neck, this time more deliberate. And then a third.

“Chanyeol” Baekhyun exclaimed with slight shock mixed with anger in his voice and immediately turned around.

The moment he did, he found himself staring straight into Chanyeol’s big, brown eyes that were looking back at him, longingly.

Baekhyun felt a sudden pang in his heart as he saw Chanyeol’s lips part slightly.

Without realizing, they both drew closer to each other, with Baekhyun stealing glances on Chanyeol’s plump red lips while the latter never stopping to stare into Baekhyun’s eyes.

Chanyeol’s hands were still wrapped around Baekhyun’s waist and with one sudden jerk, he pulled Baekhyun near as both their bodies leaned against each other. Chanyeol could feel every heartbeat of Baekhyun as if it was his own.

Baekhyun could feel Chanyeol’s warm breath on his lips and it made him go wild. All he wanted in that moment was to claim Chanyeol’s lips and own them. Devour them completely till all there was left was the remnants of their sins.

Chanyeol closed in, ready to touch the edges of Baekhyun’s lip with his own and Baekhyun closed his eyes, waiting for the Devil to mark him.

The Devil.

Baekhyun suddenly opened his eyes.

“Get out” he said and Chanyeol was taken aback.

“What?” Chanyeol asked in sudden shock.

“Get out” Baekhyun half yelled this time. “Get the fuck out of my room”

“Baekhyun, calm down” Chanyeol said softly, drawing his hands back.

“I know what you are Chanyeol” Baekhyun spat. “The Devil who makes people commit sins and later punishes them for it. I can’t believe you would do this to me. I gave you a place to stay, I saved your life, twice, and this is how you repay me? By making me cheat on my boyfriend?”

“Baekhyun I didn’t…”

“Get out” Baekhyun said more firmly now. “Your tricks won’t work on me. I see you for the evil that you are”

Chanyeol did not know what to say. He knew trying to talk to Baekhyun now would be of no use so he just walked out of the room quietly; leaving Baekhyun all to himself.

As Baekhyun lay awake that night, all he could think of was how close Chanyeol was to him that night. Baekhyun recalled the look he saw in Chanyeol’s eyes. Chanyeol was yearning for him like Baekhyun had never seen anyone yearn for him ever. Anger rose inside of Baekhyun again, not because of what Chanyeol had done, but because in that moment, Baekhyun had yearned for Chanyeol just as much as Chanyeol had for Baekhyun.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Even if I knew the heartbreaks** _   
_**I’d endure while loving you** _   
_**would leave me so deeply scarred** _   
_**I’d still go back in time and** _   
_**do it all over again.** _

Baekhyun had never been so confused in his life. Nothing made sense to him anymore and he was bothered by the fact that he kept thinking about Chanyeol more than he should.

Since the night of the _incident_ , Baekhyun had grown more and more aware of Chanyeol, especially because the latter was avoiding him completely. Baekhyun did not understand if it was shame or guilt or simply just because Chanyeol was sorry for what he had done. But whatever it was, Chanyeol thought it could be solved if he just ignored Baekhyun hard enough.

The first day after the _incident_ , Baekhyun wanted to strangle Chanyeol because when Kyungsoo and Suho woke up, Chanyeol started paying attention to Suho, just to avoid Baekhyun.

The second day, when both of Baekhyun’s friend had gone, Chanyeol sat on the couch watching TV, loud enough to drown all other noise in the world, especially Baekhyun’s and then quietly got in the car when Baekhyun was ready to leave for work. Then at PreCorYun, he strolled around the entire building like a lost puppy and finally like an ideal boy, stood in front of the main entrance, waiting for Baekhyun to take him home. Once back, he went on with his routine of watching TV in full volume.

It was on the third day that Baekhyun understood Chanyeol’s behavior, or so he thought he did. Baekhyun was not used to being ignored and the only thing that he could make sense of from this was that Chanyeol was perhaps trying to make Baekhyun feel guilty for rejecting him. He was craving attention and he thought ignoring Baekhyun would give him that. Baekhyun almost laughed at how childish the Devil’s games were. But Baekhyun was not the type to be toyed with. He knew himself and the kind of loyalty he had towards people. Baekhyun knew would never fall for these dirty trick that Chanyeol was throwing at him.

Baekhyun needed to establish authority. He needed to make it clear that he was in no way interested in Chanyeol and as long as he was with Kai, he would only be with Kai. Any it was not like Baekhyun was interested in Chanyeol at all. Only someone with a loose wire in their brain would be interested in the Devil and as far as Baekhyun knew, he was pretty sane.

But the issue wasn’t whether Baekhyun was interested or not. The issue was Chanyeol himself. Knowing that Baekhyun was dating Kai, Chanyeol had tried to come on to him. Baekhyun needed to make Chanyeol understand who he was with and who he wanted to be with, as long as it would last.

And he knew just what to do.

“I am having Kai over” Baekhyun, on the fourth day, announced to Chanyeol who was, as usual, diverting all his attention on the television. Baekhyun did not even understand what was so fascinating for him to watch but on his various curious trips to the living room, Baekhyun found that Chanyeol had an overbearing obsession with Masterchef Australia for some reason.

Chanyeol didn’t turn his head upon hearing Baekhyun but the latter noticed that Chanyeol shifted on his seat when Baekhyun spoke.

“You can either stay here or stay in the patio” Baekhyun continued. “Either way doesn’t matter to me.”

When Chanyeol did not respond, Baekhyun went back upstairs with the book of spells and his laptop in his hands, to perhaps do some research before Kai arrived.

Baekhyun got comfortable on his bed and flipped through the pages of the book of forbidden spells. There were spells that could summon demons, could hurt people, will them to kill themselves, bring about famine and plague, start an apocalypse and all Baekhyun thought while he read those spells was that such a powerful book had been stacked in his attic like a piece of junk all this while.

He soon reached the page that had summoned the Devil into his life. As Baekhyun turned that page over, he noticed that the next one contained a strange spell.

A side note on the right had the words “Domare Diabolus”

“What language is this?” Baekhyun whispered to himself. “Ancient devilry?

He fished his phone out and searched the phrase on a translation app and was soon met with the result “Tame the Devil”

As Baekhyun read the words, he glanced back at the image on the bottom of the page. The imperfect outline showed what looked like the Devil with horns, lying on a thick bench with his limbs dangling out. The rendition was more than what Baekhyun believed it to be. If anything, it showed that the Devil would be tamed to a point of having no functionality at all.

It was gruesome and Baekhyun clutched his fist at the thought of someone doing this to Chanyeol.

He flipped that page because staying on it was making him angry. Turning it over, Baekhyun noticed that the sheet immediately after taming spell had been torn away. Baekhyun traced his fingers along the binding, feeling the remnants of the detached page. He wondered what spell it contained.

Switching his laptop on, he searched for the terms “How to send the devil back”. Just like he’d expected, there were no lucrative results except a documentary movie. There was nothing concrete on what Baekhyun was actually looking for. Shutting the laptop down and closing his eyes, Baekhyun sighed while he ran his hand through his hair.

“There has to be a way” he told himself.

For some reason, Baekhyun wondered why the old woman from his old neighborhood had decided to leave the book of spells with Baekhyun. He could have happily gone to her for answers on all that was happening but she was dead and there was nothing Baekhyun could do about it.

Not knowing what else to do, Baekhyun decided to search for the evil incarnate himself.

Typing the words “The Devil” into the search bar on his laptop, Baekhyun was met with multiple results that would help him understand the thing watching Masterchef Australia in his living room.

“… Devil or Satan is the primary objectification of death, destruction and chaos.” A sentence read.

“… opponent of god”

“… a fallen angel cast out of heaven”

“… terrorizer of the world through evil”

Baekhyun paused and thought of all these words but none came close to the kind of Devil he had seen in the past few days. A fallen angel? Well that he was but nothing about him reeked of evilness. Or was it because he was bound to earth against his free will, bound to Baekhyun by blood that he was not able to unleash his wrath?

It was all confusing to Baekhyun but he knew one thing for sure, Chanyeol using his powers made him weak, especially when he was on earth. The incident with Kyungsoo was enough proof of that.

“Maybe that’s why he is all mellowed down right now”

Baekhyun’s eyes fell on his laptop’s screen again as he read further and further about the embodiment of Satan.

“… he had a name before his fall. A name given to his angel form before he was doomed to eternal fire”

Multiple narratives ran through Baekhyun’s head at that point. Was ‘Chanyeol’ the name given to him before he became the Devil? Did eternal fire mean Hell? His mind was brimming with questions only Chanyeol could answer but he was in his own bitchy mood since four days so Baekhyun knew he would have to wait until things went back to normal.

“Normal” Baekhyun laughed, saying the word out loud. Waiting for the Devil to surpass his mood swings and talk to Baekhyun again was the definition of ‘normal’ in his life now.

He was about to read further when he heard the doorbell ring. Placing the book of spells inside the cabinet of his nightstand, Baekhyun jumped out of the bed to go and receive Kai.

As Baekhyun walked down the stairs, he saw Chanyeol still staring into the television set like nothing else around him existed. All Baekhyun wanted to do then was walk over to him and smack him across his head, telling him watching this amount of TV was bad for his eyes. But in reality, Baekhyun wanted to smack Chanyeol and ask him go back to speaking terms like before.

Shaking his head, Baekhyun rushed to the door.

“Hi babe” Baekhyun said with a smile that was brighter than usual.

Kai reached down and kissed Baekhyun before walking in.

“Hey Chanyeol” Kai said to which Chanyeol rose his hand in acknowledgment, without turning around.

“What’s with him?” Kai asked to which Baekhyun just shrugged. “Ignore him. Let’s go upstairs”

“Re… really?” Kai looked flushed. “With him still in the house?”

Baekhyun took his hand and lead his upstairs. “I won’t let an unwanted guest from college ruin my sex life now, would I?”

Baekhyun’s words weren’t too loud. He didn’t want to assert that he was doing this deliberately. But he spoke loud enough for Chanyeol to hear and understand who Baekhyun was with and that he was unavailable for all of Chanyeol’s games.

“Do you want something to drink?” Baekhyun asked once they were upstairs. He did not know why he was so nervous when they had done the same thing a hundred times before.

“Do you have beer?” Kai asked with a smirk and Baekhyun raised an eyebrow.

“Mr. Kim. I see you’re getting all macho on me” Baekhyun teased.

Kai pulled Baekhyun by his hand and on to himself as they both landed on the bed. He then flipped Baekhyun over and positioned himself on top.

“You like it a little rough, don’t you?” Kai asked, reaching down and hovering his lips over Baekhyun’s, barely leaving any space between them.

Baekhyun could feel with each heavy, sustained breath how bad Kai wanted to kiss him. But the warm gasps that escaped Kai’s lips suddenly reminded Baekhyun of Chanyeol for some reason. It reminded him of how weak he had felt in that moment when he was merely one push away from taking Chanyeol’s lips into his own.

As if out of reflex Baekhyun held Kai by the waist and turned him over, placing himself over the latter. Urgency leaking from every move he made, Baekhyun rushed to crash his lips against Kai’s, forcing himself to stop thinking about Chanyeol.

“I like it only when I am the one being rough” Baekhyun said, breaking away from the kiss that left the two of them reaching for air.

“I think I like you being rough on me” Kai confessed, trying to bring his emotions into control while all he wanted was to tear Baekhyun away from his clothes and taste every inch of his body.

Baekhyun placed a hand on Kai’s chest and pushed himself up.

“I better get that beer” he said, getting out of the bed and adjusting his hair before going back down.

Chanyeol was unmoved. He was still sitting on the couch with the TV controller in his hand and eyes fixed on the large screen.

Baekhyun walked over to the fridge and pulled two beer cans out. He did not spare Chanyeol any glance, rather retreated back upstairs pretty quickly.

Back in the living room, Chanyeol watched Baekhyun from the corners of his eyes and felt something weird inside of him.

Kai plunged himself onto the bed where Baekhyun’s laptop was when Baekhyun went to get beer. Without giving it much thought, Kai turned the sleek machine on but the moment he saw what was on it, blood drained from his face.

“I didn’t have anything stronger I hope this is…” Baekhyun announced as he entered the room but soon his voice trailed off when he saw the expression on Kai’s face. It looked like he had seen a ghost.

“Kai?” Baekhyun asked, walking closer to him. “Kai are you alright?”

“Hmm?” Kai asked, tearing his eyes away from the screen. “Yeah, yeah I am fine” he said.

“What’s wrong?”

“Baek” Kai said, looking at him worriedly. “What were you doing searching about the Devil?”

Baekhyun was confused for a minute. Why was Kai so worked up on something like this? How did it matter to him what Baekhyun was searching for, especially if it was the Devil?

Every since Chanyeol showed up, Kai had been acting strange and it had only started to make sense to Baekhyun now. Kai had repeatedly told him to be careful of Chanyeol like he knew something about him that others didn’t. Yet he wasn’t ready to tell Baekhyun what it was.

Knowing that these were far too little evidences to form any sort of concrete judgments, Baekhyun chose to ignore it.

“That?” he asked with a soft laugh. “It’s for the new game we’re making. Kyungsoo can’t get the details of the Devil right for some reason. So I was searching about it to see if I could help with the design”

“Right” Kai said, looked more assured than before. Baekhyun had told him about the game he was developing and what it was about. It made sense to Kai and he breathed in relief.

He shut the laptop off and kept it aside.

“Can we have that drink now?” he asked and Baekhyun happily handed him the can of beer he was holding out for him.

Chanyeol was getting frustrated by the minute. He had turned the TV’s volume on full but his giant ears still picked up noises he didn’t want to hear.

And right now, all he heard was Kai’s names that escaped from the soft moans from Baekhyun’s lips. And it made him mad.

Turning the television off, Chanyeol decided to sit out on the patio near the garden. He shut the door tightly behind him to make sure no sound escaped from inside the house.

Sprawling himself out on the wooden chair, Chanyeol hung his head back, staring at the stars that blinked through the night sky.

The past four days had been extremely difficult for him. He wanted to talk to Baekhyun, to laugh with him, to eat with him, to touch him…

Chanyeol was fighting inner battles to stop himself from doing something Baekhyun might not like. He did not want to scare him or chase him away. It was all too funny really. He was the Devil. The bloody Devil. Nothing had ever stopped him from getting what he wanted. He would stop at nothing to own the things he liked and still when it came to Baekhyun, Chanyeol couldn’t bring himself to force Baekhyun into something he didn’t want. And he did not understand why everything was different with him.

He told himself that it was because he needed Baekhyun to send him back, but somewhere deep within he knew that this was just a stupid reason. There was something else he was feeling. Something he’d never felt before, something he didn’t understand.

“Sehun” Chanyeol called out into the cold night.

The moment Chanyeol was done calling his name out, the demon appeared before him.

“What are you doing out here?” Sehun asked when he saw Chanyeol staring up at the sky.

Chanyeol jerked his head up and stared at Sehun. “I wanna go back”

Sehun sighed and sat down next to the Devil. “I know. Any luck finding out how?”

Chanyeol shook his head. “I don’t even remember what made me go back the last time”

“Do you want me to look through the book once?” Sehun asked; standing up, ready to go inside the house. “I could ask Baekhyun for help”

“No wait” Chanyeol almost shrieked. “He’s… he’s not available right now”

“What do you mean? Is he not inside? Did he leave you alone again?”

“It’s not like that…” Chanyeol began. “He… he’s with his boyfriend”

“Oh” Sehun said and sank back next to Chanyeol. “Why do you have your bitchface on then?”

Chanyeol stared at Sehun sharply. “I don’t have a bitchface”

Sehun pursed his lips at him. “Yes you do. Remember when you wanted to start World War 3 and we all asked you to wait a couple more decades to let the human race be more desperate and needier and you sulked for a whole month because of that?”

Chanyeol did not reply, even though he remembered it clearly well.

“The whole month you had the same bitchface on.” Sehun said with a laugh.

Chanyeol simply sighed and Sehun understood this was more serious than he had believed it to be.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. “And don’t say ‘nothing’ because I can see right through you”

Chanyeol continued to stay silent but for a moment his eyes drifted back to house and onto the first floor.

“So it’s about Baekhyun huh?” Sehun asked curiously. “Did you try to come on to him?”

“What?” Chanyeol asked in complete shock. “No… what?”

“You know you’re a terrible liar, right?”

Chanyeol closed his eyes and shook his head. “It’s… it’s not like that”

“What is it then? You know I will listen to you no matter what you have to say”

Chanyeol let out a deep breath and turned his body to face Sehun.

“Well yes I did try to kiss him the other night but I have been avoiding him since then” he blurted out like a teenager confessing about his first love. “But today he brought Kai over and I feel…”

“Feel what?”

“I feel something here” Chanyeol placed his hand on his chest, right between his ribcages.

“You mean your heart?” Sehun raised an eyebrow. “Chanyeol you know you don’t have a heart right?”

Chanyeol nodded. “I know. And yet I feel something ugly inside”

“You just need to get laid” Sehun said nonchalantly.

“I do?” Chanyeol asked like the thought was unlikely.

Sehun nodded. “I mean that’s practically all you ever did while you were in hell. How long has it been since you last had sex huh?”

“A little over a week perhaps”

“Wow” Sehun exclaimed with a shock. “Really? I am surprised you didn’t jump Baekhyun sooner”

Chanyeol was about to reply when Sehun got up. “Let’s go”

“Where?” the Devil asked in confusion.

“To get you sex”

Chanyeol didn’t move. “Sehun you know I can’t leave. I am bound to Baekhyun”

“Oh right” Sehun said with a sigh. “Okay then… Make me look like a human”

“Why?”

“Coz if you can’t go to the party, I am going to bring the party to you”

When Sehun meant he was going to bring the part to the house, what he basically meant was that he would start a full blown orgy.

In less than an hour, the living room of Baekhyun’s house was full with strangers who were drinking shots off each others’ bodies, making out, doing stuff than more than just making out and it was just wild.

“Where did you find all these people?” Chanyeol asked amusedly as he saw two girls make out.

“Night club not far from here” Sehun said winking at a guy who was walking around half naked.

“Alexa play party music” Sehun said next.

“Who’s Alexa?” Chanyeol asked looking around.

“You don’t have to know” Sehun replied before waving his hand to the mess in the living room as mind numbing music started playing.

“For you…” he said, bowing to Chanyeol, “… my king”

“I am sorry I came all over your face” Kai said, a little embarassed as he grabbed a bunch of tissues from the side table.

“It’s okay Kai, it’s not like I haven’t done this to you” Baekhyun laughed.

Kai was about to apologise again when he stopped. “Do you hear something?”

Faint music reached both their ears when suddenly the music got louder.

“Must be the neighbours” Baekhyun shrugged, walking over to the washroom to clean his face.

Kai followed him inside.

Once Baekhyun was done washing his face and stood in front of the mirror, Kai’s hands slid into Baekhyun’s waist as he pressed his torso against Baekhyun’s back

Kai placed a soft kiss on his shoulder. “Let’s go back to bed” he whispered.

Baekhyun turned around and grabbed Kai lightly by his hair before pulling him down for a kiss. Kai drew Baekhyun closer, their naked bodies pressed against each other.

Slowly reaching out, Kai grabbed Baekhyun by his butt, sending a wave of pleasure through Baekhyun’s body.

Kai was still biting into Baekhyun’s lips when he suddenly stopped.

Baekhyun looked at him blankly. “What’s wrong?”

“Baek” Kai began. “I think the music’s coming from downstairs”

Baekhyun and Kai got dressed quickly and rushed downstairs and what they saw left them in complete shock.

The entire living room was full of people who were either completely naked, or in the process of it. There were people on top of each other. Some were involved in exclusive act, some were busy in threesome while some were grouped together in a number Baekhyun did not even want to count.

“What is happening?” Kai asked, looking as confused as Baekhyun was.

Baekhyun was searching for Chanyeol amidst all the sex that was occupying most of his living room but he was nowhere to be seen.

Sehun saw the two of them from the corner of his eyes and walked over after turning the volume of the music down.

“Looking for Chanyeol?” he asked Baekhyun who tore his eyes away from the strangers to the one face he actually recognized.

“Sehun, what the fuck is happening?”

Sehun did not answer his question, but in turn, extended his hand towards Kai. “You must be the boyfriend” he said.

Kai took Sehun’s hand in his reluctantly and shook it lightly. “And you are?”

“An acquaintance of Baekhyun” he said with a slight smile.

“Sehun” Baekhyun interrupted. “What is all this?”

“It’s an orgy” Sehun snapped. “Can’t you tell?”

“Where is Chanyeol?” Baekhyun eyes panned over the entire area but Chanyeol was not among the people he saw there.

“He’s in the middle of…” Sehun began, “… an act” he finished with pursed lips. “You don’t want to know the details, trust me. It’s all raw and gory”

The first thing that ran through Baekhyun’s head when he heard the words ‘raw’ and ‘gory’ was that Chanyeol was hurting someone. Baekhyun had just read some pretty nasty things about the Devil a few hours back and all he could think was that Chanyeol was perhaps doing something horrible.

“Where is he?” Baekhyun demanded to know and Kai suddenly heard the urgency in his voice. It was an urgency that erupted from fear and he wondered what Baekhyun was so scared of.

“Out” Sehun replied, pointing towards the door that led to the patio and the garden.

Baekhyun did not wait for more and immediately ran towards it.

Kai was about to follow when Sehun stopped him.

“So…” Sehun began, running his finger down Kai’s neck all the way down to his bare chest. “… see anything you like?”

When Baekhyun ran out to the garden, at first he didn’t see anything. It was a dark and moonless night. But he didn’t need to see to know where Chanyeol was.

Coming from the far end of the patio were noises that made Baekhyun uncomfortable. Despite his brain telling him to not go any further, Baekhyun’s feet continued to walk. Before he could realize what he was doing, he found himself standing not too far from where Chanyeol was.

As Baekhyun’s eyes adjusted to the darkness, he saw Chanyeol pinning someone against the wall as their legs wrapped around him.

The girl Chanyeol was engorging, cried in pleasure with each thrust Chanyeol put into her and for some reason, Baekhyun found this entire sight unbearable.

“You’re next” Chanyeol said and suddenly Baekhyun’s eyes fell on the large wooden chair to the right of where Chanyeol was standing. Seated on the cushions were two other girls who were pleasuring each other.

The one Chanyeol pointed to jumped with joy when she heard Chanyeol call her out for the next round.

Baekhyun did not understand why this was bothering him so much but in that moment, he wanted to scream at Chanyeol, asking him to stop.

Despite the feeling Baekhyun was struggling with inside of him, he simply chose to turn around and go back inside. Who was he to tell Chanyeol to stop doing that girl or the one after that when Baekhyun was busy having sex with Kai not too long ago himself?

When Baekhyun walked back inside, he found Kai talking to Sehun while the latter looked at him with eyes brimming with curiosity.

“Sehun” Baekhyun said, approaching them. “Ask everyone to leave. Right now”

“Oh but I can’t” Sehun replied.

“Why not?”

Sehun sighed and turned to Baekhyun. “Chanyeol doesn’t take it well when someone interrupts his…” he tried to explain his best. “… let’s call it love making, okay?” Sehun finished off with a gag reflex.

“He gets very angry” he continued “And trust me Baekhyun, do you do not want to get him mad”

Baekhyun’s expressions changed and Kai immediately noticed. He was still trying to figure out what about Chanyeol made Baekhyun uncomfortable. 

“Baek…” he said. “It’s your house.”

Baekhyun knew what Kai meant but there were too many people there and Baekhyun could not risk getting Chanyeol angry. No one knew what he would do in a fit of rage.

“Don’t worry about it, okay?” Baekhyun replied.

“But…” Kai began but was cut off.

“Kai I think it’s time for you to go home”

Kai looked from Baekhyun to Sehun and then back at Baekhyun. He did not understand why Baekhyun wanted him to leave instead of throwing these people out. Instead of choosing to ask Baekhyun that question, Kai simply nodded. “Are you sure you’ll be okay on your own here?”

Baekhyun nodded curtly. “I can’t drop you off tonight. Do you want me to call you a cab?”

“No I will manage” Kai said and turned around to walk himself out without another word or even a proper goodbye.

Once he was gone, Baekhyun looked at Sehun. “Do me a favour” he said and Sehun nodded.

“Clean up after everyone’s gone” he finished and quietly walked up the stairs and into his room.

Sehun watched Baekhyun walk away and smiled.

“Interesting” he whispered to himself before turning back around and joining the sex party he had thrown.

The next day when Baekhyun woke up, he was met with a house that was restored back to its spotless disposition, a warm cup of freshly brewed coffee and a very happy Devil.

“Good morning” Chanyeol said with a smile as he handed the mug to Baekhyun.

As it turned out, Baekhyun found this side of Chanyeol more uncomfortable than he had when he was avoiding Baekhyun. Baekhyun didn’t know how to respond and he didn’t understand why Chanyeol’s smiling face was making him mad.

He ignored the greetings and the cup of coffee and walked over to the kitchen to make himself a fresh cup.

Chanyeol sensed Baekhyun’s coldness and followed him into the kitchen.

“I am sorry” he said. “For what I did that day”

The sudden apology took Baekhyun by surprise and he turned to look at Chanyeol who was staring into the cup in his hands.

“It won’t happen again” he continued. “I swear. I was just… I was just horny I guess.”

Baekhyun’s felt something churn in the pits of his stomach. He would have accepted an apology but the fact that Chanyeol only did it because he was high on sex deprivation made Baekhyun feel ugly from inside.

“I am used to a certain lifestyle you see. In hell, this is pretty much all I ever do. And it had been a few days since I had sex so I guess I was just being stupid”

_Stupid._

Baekhyun hung on to that word for a long time in his mind. He knew he shouldn’t be affected by it all. After all, wasn’t it a relief that Chanyeol wasn’t actually trying to play tricks on Baekhyun? Wasn’t it better that Chanyeol was not interested in him? Wouldn’t it make things easier for Baekhyun? If all this was true, then why did Baekhyun feel a sharp sting in his heart?

_Stupid._

Baekhyun simply chose to nod, indicating that he clearly acknowledged Chanyeol’s words and walked past him to go back upstairs to get ready.

“Are we…” Chanyeol began to ask as he saw Baekhyun mount the stairs. “Are we good?”

Baekhyun paused, unable to feel himself being able to form an answer. What was he supposed to say? What was he supposed to think? Were they good? Or had each of them fucked up the sliver of friendship that had formed between them by treading on wasted grounds?

Baekhyun did not turn around when he heard Chanyeol’s question. Instead, he chose to walk back to his room. He was getting late for work.

As days progressed, Chanyeol’s sex parties became more frequent and Baekhyun’s distance from him grew wider. Not just him, Baekhyun found himself wanting to avoid Kai and everyone else too for some reason.

Baekhyun did not understand what was going on inside of his own mind and why he was so bothered by everything. He had given Chanyeol a free pass to do whatever he wanted and still he found himself sinking deeper and deeper in unexplainable feelings.

Chanyeol seemed least interested in anything that was not related to sex. He would be all jittery and high on energy all through the day with Baekhyun at PreCorYun, begging Baekhyun to take him back home the moment the clock struck 6 in the evening.

And it went on for a few more days.

About two weeks after the first sex party Chanyeol had thrown, Baekhyun was ready to head home when he suddenly got a call from Suho.

“Baek” Suho said from the other side. Even with the just one word Baekhyun knew Suho was on the verge of crying.

“Suho what’s wrong?”

“I don’t know what to do anymore” Suho sobbed.

“Do you want me to come over?” Baekhyun asked as he buzzed the intercom to his secretary’s office.

“I don’t want to stay here” Suho’s frail voice reached Baekhyun.

His secretary entered the cabin and Baekhyun quietly asked her to get Kyungsoo immediately. She nodded and left quickly.

“Don’t worry we’ll come get you” Baekhyun said as he hung up.

He then dialed Chanyeol’s number.

“Hello?” Chanyeol said. “Are you coming down? I am waiting outside”

“You’ll have to go home alone for now. I have to meet Suho”

“Oh” was all Chanyeol said.

“I won’t be long so you don’t have to be worried about your injuries” Baekhyun said sharply.

“That’s not what I…” Chanyeol began but was cut short.

“Bye” Baekhyun said and hung up before he dialed the reception to assign a company car to Chanyeol for him to get home.

Just then Kyungsoo entered. “Baek” he as he walked toward Baekhyun. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s Suho” Baekhyun replied.

Kyungsoo immediately understood that it was something urgent. “Let’s go”

“Suho” Baekhyun yelled into the cold air that blew across the hospital’s rooftop. Baekhyun and Kyungsoo did not have to search through the entire establishment to know where Suho was. The rooftop of his father’s hospital was his hideout ever since he started working there.

“Did you fight with your dad again?” Baekhyun asked as they approached Suho.

Suho nodded. “Do any of you have a cigarette?” he asked but Kyungsoo smacked him across the head.

“You quit 2 years ago, remember?”

“Yea but what’s the point? I mean I can either die of lung cancer or under my parents’ pressure and right now, cancer sounds good”

“What happened?” Baekhyun rested his back against the metal fencing that bordered the edges of the building.

The wind was sharp and cold and the three of them were freezing.

“He wants me to get married” Suho said after a short silence.

“Yeah so?” Kyungsoo asked.

“To a girl” Suho added.

Bakehyun and Kyungsoo looked at each other. This was a difficult situation that could not be dealt with light jokes.

“Does your father know?” Baekhyun asked and Suho turned to look at him.

“No” he said and sunk his head low.

“You need to tell him Suho” Kyungsoo added. “You need to tell him you’re gay”

“It’s easier said than done” Suho refuted and both Kyungsoo and Baekhyun knew he was right. Baekhyun never had to do the whole coming out thing because his mother died long before he found out himself. Kyungsoo was as straight as they came so he couldn’t even imagine what it would be like.

“I…” Suho began “… I don’t know how to tell him. You know how he gets when he’s angry”

They knew how foul Suho’s dad’s temper was. Once he had threatened to disown Suho because he got an A in chemistry instead of A+ back when they were in school.

“If I tell him this, not only will he disown me but will also kick me out of this hospital before making sure no one else hires me”

“What did you tell him…” Kyungsoo asked. “… about getting married?”

“I just said I needed more time.”

“Okay” Baekhyun said. “Let’s go”

“Where?” Kyungsoo asked in confusion.

“My house” Baekhyun replied. “Tonight we get drunk and we’ll think about what to do about this tomorrow”

Suho gave out a weak smile. “Just like old times?”

Baekhyun laughed and nodded. “Just like old times”

When Baekhyun walked into his house with Kyungsoo and Suho, it was packed with people who were just devouring each other.

“What the fuck is happening?” Kyungsoo asked in utmost disbelief.

“Chanyeol’s a sex maniac apparently” Baekhyun replied. “Let’s just go upstairs. This usually dies down by 2 am”

“How do you sleep with such commotion downstairs?”

“I don’t” Baekhyun replied softly and it was only then that Suho and Kyungsoo realized that Baekhyun had lost a lot of weight. Insomnia was doing massive damage to his body.

“Baekhyun” Suho said in a worried voice. “This isn’t right”

“I’ll take care of it” Baekhyun said. “The beer is in the fridge and the wine’s in the cellar. Get whatever you want. I’ll be upstairs”

As Baekhyun went up to his room while Suho and Kyungsoo looked for drinks in his fridge, Baekhyun found someone inside his bedroom going through his things.

Baekhyun hated strangers touching his things but he hated anyone that touched the single frame that lay on his desk.

“Get out of my room” Baekhyun yelled at the man who was reeking of alcohol even from where Baekhyun was standing.

He turned around but paid no heed to what Baekhyun said.

“Nice frame” he said instead, picking it up and walking towards Baekhyun.

The man could hardly even walk. “Wanna fuck?” he asked casually and Baekhyun felt life throwing up.

“Just leave the frame and get out of my room”

“Whatever” the man said, tossing the frame behind as it crashed on the floor and broke into pieces.

Baekhyun rushed over and saw that it was completely shattered.

Reaching his hand out, Baekhyun touched the pieces of macaroni, buttons and glittering stars that had covered the ceramic photo frame. His mother’s smiling photo stared at him that had been detached from the casing.

Baekhyun turned his head towards the door where the man stood sluggishly, smiling. Baekhyun felt his insides turn as a wave of anger spread across his body. With one quick breath, Baekhyun got on his feet and ran towards the door, firmly landing a strong punch on the man’s face.

The stranger recoiled backward and crashed against the wall behind. The punch was strong enough to wake him up from his drunken state. As he recollected his composure, he decided to charge towards Baekhyun, wanting to return what he got but Baekhyun was quick. He dodged the man’s attack and instead swirled him around, making his head crash against the wall.

Knowing that he won’t win against Baekhyun, the man quickly squirmed and fled downstairs.

Baekhyun went back inside his room and picked the baseball bat up from behind the door. Dragging it along his feet, Baekhyun went downstairs.

The first thing he did in his mad rage was turn the music off. A sudden silence pierced through the air as Kyungsoo and Suho turned to look at him.

“Everyone out” he yelled but no one moved.

Baekhyun then went over to the coffee table in the living room and swung his bat on the glass surface with as much force as he could. A loud cracking noise pierced the air as shards of broken glass flew around.

“Get out” Baekhyun yelled and this time, everyone ran out the door one by one.

Kyungsoo and Suho placed the beer cans in their hands on the table and walked over to where Baekhyun was.

“Baek” Suho said. “Calm down”

But Baekhyun did not listen to him. His eyes searched for Chanyeol but he was nowhere to be seen.

Soon he emerged from the patio and stood on the door to the garden.

“Baekhyun” he exclaimed as he saw everyone run out the door. He then turned towards Kyungsoo and Suho.

“What’s wrong?” he asked but neither of them replied. Baekhyun was fuming with rage and all he wanted to do was smash more things.

Chanyeol’s eyes fell on the blood that was dripping from Baekhyun’s arm. A glass shard must have pierced him while he broke the coffee table.

Chanyeol opened his mouth to say something when he saw Baekhyun throw the bat away.

He panned his eyes around, as if searching for something but did not find whatever it was he was looking for.

He picked up a shard of glass from near his feet.

“No” Kyungsoo yelled trying to stop him but he was late.

Baekhyun pierced his hand with the corner of the sharp piece of glass.

“Sehun” Baekhyun yelled into the night and the moment he did, Sehun appeared in front of him.

Suho and Kyungsoo blinked at what stood before them; something that wasn’t there a second ago.

“You called?” he asked and Baekhyun looked at him with rage in his eyes.

“Break the bond” he said softly.

Chanyeol was left dumbfounded by what Baekhyun had just said. He proceeded to go near Baekhyun to talk to him but Sehun stopped him.

“He has made his mind up” was all Sehun said before turning back to Baekhyun again.

“These are your friends?” he asked and Baekhyun nodded curtly.

He turned to Kyungsoo and Suho. “Take him upstairs. I’ll be there in a minute”

Neither of Baekhyun’s best friend understood what had happened but they didn’t want Baekhyun to stand in the middle of this mess so they rushed him upstairs and into his room.

Sehun turned towards Chanyeol.

“I told you to not do this when I wasn’t around, didn’t I?”

Chanyeol did not answer. His eyes were fixed on the stairs where he had seen Baekhyun disappear.

“Chanyeol” Sehun yelled. “See what you’ve done”

Slowly Chanyeol’s eyes turned from the stairs to the drops of blood that lay among the pieces of shattered glass.

“I…” he began, unsure of what he was going to say. “I should go talk to him”

“Stop” Sehun said. “You’ve done enough for today. The boy gave you his house to stay in, fed you, saved your life, trusted you me and you with strangers in his house only so you could satisfy your sexual urge but you’ve taken it too far”

“It was you who asked me to do this” Chanyeol said, looking lost.

“I asked you to get Baekhyun out of your system by having sex with strangers once. I thought it would be enough. But look at you. Don’t you have any self control?”

“Shut up” Chanyeol said threateningly.

“Don’t you see what damage you have done this time?”

“Shut up!”

“Can’t you see how stupid you’ve been?”

“I said shut up” Chanyeol roared in anger, eyes blazing red and anger pouring out while thunder cracked across the sky.

“Stay away from the boy” Sehun said sternly before going upstairs to check on Baekhyun, leaving Chanyeol among his own thought.

Sehun’s words resonated in Chanyeol’s mind.

_Stay away from the boy._

But that’s what Chanyeol had done. For the past 2 weeks, he had stayed away from Baekhyun. Ever since the night of the first party, Chanyeol had been consumed more and more by Baekhyun’s thoughts. If anything, the night told Chanyeol that there were unexplained feeling inside of him for Baekhyun. He did not know what the feelings were or what they meant but he knew Baekhyun had become an important part of his life.

But the next morning, Baekhyun’s coldness told him that he did not want anything to do with Chanyeol. It made him feel that Baekhyun would be better off without him. The sex was just a distraction because at least when Chanyeol was fucking strangers, he wasn’t thinking about anything or anyone. While the rest of the day, Baekhyun occupied every inch of his thoughts.

And now that he wanted the bond broken, Chanyeol couldn’t help but feel an ache in the place where once his heart was alive.

Sehun walked inside the room and saw Baekhyun’s wound being mended by Suho. His eyes then fell on the pieces of broken frame on the floor along with the photo.

“Is he okay?” Sehun asked.

All three eyes turned towards Sehun.

“I am fine” Baekhyun said and Sehun nodded.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Sehun still looked worried.

“Wait” Suho interrupted and looked at Baekhyun.

“Explain” he said. Everything”

Baekhyun took a deep breath and began. He told Suho and Kyungsoo everything from the time Sehun had first appeared to the breaking of the bond.

“Do it” Kyungsoo said hurriedly as he looked at Sehun. “Break the bond right now”

“That’s not for you to decide” Sehun said and turned towards Baekhyun. “Do you really want to do this? Baekhyun there’s no turning back. I am not even a hundred percent sure if the bond will break. I don’t even know what’ll happen when the spell is successful.”

“I trust you” Baekhyun said and realized that he actually meant it. For some reason, he did trust Sehun.

Sehun nodded. “I’ll gather the things and be right back”

Before leaving, Sehun looked at Baekhyun once more. “Is that your mother?”

Baekhyun followed Sehun’s eyes to the floor and he nodded silently. Sehun understood Baekhyun’s anger came from a deep state of emotional turmoil.

“I’ll get you a new frame” he said and Baekhyun appreciated his words but the entire issue was not the photograph being frameless.

“It’s the frame” Baekhyun softly muttered. “It meant everything to me”

Baekhyun got up from the bed and walked over to where this world lay shattered in pieces.

As he picked up each piece with utmost precision, all Baekhyun could think was that he had failed as a son. The frame was something Baekhyun had made with his mother when he was a kid. It was Baekhyun who had collected all the macaroni pieces and the assorted buttons and the stars were made by his mother who had cut and painted each one for her and Baekhyun to stick to the borders of the frame. This was the only thing left from the time before his mother was diagnosed with cancer.

It was not just a piece of decoration. It was a memory. The only memory he had of himself with his mother.

And now it was broken.

Sehun did not have to be told in words what Baekhyun was feeling.

“I can fix it for you” Sehun politely offered.

Baekhyun picked everything up and walked over to his desk cabinet to keep it all together in one place.

He then turned to Sehun and shook his head. “Not everything can be repaired Sehun. Even if it will be fixed, I’ll always know it was broken. I’ll always feel what I am feeling now”

“I understand” Sehun said and quietly nodded at Suho and Kyungsoo. “Make sure he rests well. The spell is very powerful. I will be back in a couple of hours.” With that, Sehun vanished.

“Will this work?” Kyungsoo asked Sehun who handed Baekhyun a paper. They were now in the living room which had been cleared for the spell. Baekhyun did not know where all his furniture went but Sehun had snapped his fingers and everything vanished. “I’ll get it all back” he had said to assure Baekhyun.

Sehun nodded at Kyungsoo’s question. “I most certainly think so”

“That’s not a very good answer” he snapped.

“It won’t hurt Baekhyun, would it?” Suho went on to ask.

“No” Sehun shook his head. “If anything, it would hurt Chanyeol”

“Huh?” Baekhyun asked.

“Well your blood has transfused into his. For the bond to break, I need to get that out and it won’t be easy”

Baekhyun looked at Chanyeol with horror while the latter just stood there like a zombie, not meeting anyone’s eyes.

Sehun turned to Suho. “Place the five candles on the floor like the corners of a pentagram”

Suho immediately walked over to the bag of stuff Sehun had brought with him and pulled the black candles out.

Placing them on the floor just like Sehun had asked, he turned to him out of curiosity. “What are they for by the way?”

“The five candles represent the five elements; earth, air, fire, water and soul. Light the candles when Chanyeol steps in”

He then turned to Kyungsoo. “Can you get me the Tibetan Bowl”

Kyungsoo nodded and handed the metal bowl to Sehun that was black all over with letters inscribed in gold.

“Chanyeol” Sehun said turning to him. “Step into the circle and sit in the exact center”

Chanyeol did not say anything but quietly did as he was asked. Once he was seated, Suho lit all the 5 candles.

Sehun turned to Baekhyun. “After I add everything, you’ll have to pour your blood into this bowl and as soon as you do that, start chanting the words written on the paper, okay?”

Baekhyun nodded, seeds of doubts started poking him on whether this was the right thing to do. But he knew he couldn’t go on living like he was. He and Chanyeol needed to go their separate ways. At least until Baekhyun figured out how to send him back.

“Black salt” Sehun asked and Kyungsoo handed it to him. Sehun poured some of it into the bowl.

“Lavender” he said and Kyungsoo gave it to him next.

Sehun then picked up the bottle of Frankincense and poured it into the bowl. An immediate surge of strong odor engulfed the room.

“Hyssop” he said next and Suho brought it over.

Once he had added everything into the bowl, he picked the stick up and started churning the ingredients in a slow, anti-clockwise motion.

“You feeling okay?” he asked, raising his head towards Baekhyun.

Baekhyun nodded. “Just hurry up, okay?” he said, eyes drifting towards Chanyeol who looked like something important was being taken away from him.

His mind ran into different places. Baekhyun wondered if he was being too selfish. He wondered if this was the right thing to do. He had not even once asked Chanyeol if he wanted to break the bond. Baekhyun had asserted his decision and Chanyeol had no choice but to agree.

“Baekhyun” Sehun said, breaking his thoughts. “Hold this” he handed Baekhyun a sharp dagger.

“I need you to pour your blood into the bowl” Sehun said next and Baekhyun nodded, pursing his lips. 

“Does he really have to?” Kyungsoo asked in defense.

“Don’t worry it’s just as few drops, I’ll heal him later”

Baekhyun took a deep breath and sliced the knife across his palm. Warm liquid dripped through the wound and he poured it into the bowl as was instructed by Sehun.

“Please start” he said, looking at Baekhyun and nodding while he continued to churn whatever was inside the bowl.

As if on cue, Baekhyun began to chant.

 _“ **Ego finem omnes necessitudines cum Diabolo, deus infernum”**_  
_“ **Ego finem omnes necessitudines cum Diabolo, deus infernum”**_  
_“ **Ego finem omnes necessitudines cum Diabolo, deus infernum”**_  
_“ **Ego finem omnes necessitudines cum Diabolo, deus infernum”  
**“ **Ego finem omnes necessitudines cum Diabolo, deus infernum”**_

Baekhyun wasn’t sure how long he had to keep chanting so he continued.

 _“ **Ego finem omnes necessitudines cum Diabolo, deus infernum”**_  
_“ **Ego finem omnes necessitudines cum Diabolo, deus infernum”  
**“ **Ego finem omnes necessitudines cum Diabolo, deus infernum”**_

Something in the air inside the room shifted. Baekhyun could feel the movement on his skin. It was as if a light wind was blowing inside. He turned his head around, still chanting the words he had been asked to, but found all the doors and windows closed.

Just then, Sehun grabbed the dagger and slit it across his own wrist. A gush of thick, black liquid flowed out of the wound. He hovered his hand over the bowl and the moment his blood poured into it, a sudden cry rang through the air.

Baekhyun turned his head around to see that Chanyeol was screaming, curled up on the floor.

His eyes were as black as the night and his body twisted unnaturally as his cries got louder and louder.

“Don’t stop chanting” Sehun warned and despite wanting to run to Chanyeol to help him, Baekhyun continued.

 _“ **Ego finem omnes necessitudines cum Diabolo, deus infernum”**_  
_“ **Ego finem omnes necessitudines cum Diabolo, deus infernum”**_  
_“ **Ego finem omnes necessitudines cum Diabolo, deus infernum”**_  
_“ **Ego finem omnes necessitudines cum Diabolo, deus infernum”  
**“ **Ego finem omnes necessitudines cum Diabolo, deus infernum”**_

The more Baekhyun chanted, the more Chanyeol screamed. Sehun must have seen the worry in Baekhyun’s eyes because he assured him next. “Don’t worry, this probably means it’s working. Continue”

_Probably?_

_“ **Ego finem omnes necessitudines cum Diabolo, deus infernum”  
**“ **Ego finem omnes necessitudines cum Diabolo, deus infernum”**_

“Hold this while you chant” Sehun said, handing the bowl over to Baekhyun who dropped the paper in his hand and held the bowl. He stared into it and all he could see was nothing but black matter. Chanyeol was still screaming and it made Baekhyun’s concentration falter. But he did not stop.

 _“ **Ego finem omnes necessitudines cum Diabolo, deus infernum”**_  
_“ **Ego finem omnes necessitudines cum Diabolo, deus infernum”  
**“ **Ego finem omnes necessitudines cum Diabolo, deus infernum”**_

As Baekhyun spoke the words, while still staring at the bowl, his eyes suddenly lit up when he saw the black gooey liquid slowly change color.

Before he could even blink twice, the blackness of everything inside the bowl had turned into a something pure and golden.

“I knew it” Sehun whispered, taking the bowl from Baekhyun and walking over to Chanyeol, who was still writhing in pain.

“Drink this” he said, holding Chanyeol’s head up, helping him gulp down the liquid, one sip at a time.

Baekhyun sighed. With each gulp, Chanyeol’s screams were dying down. The pain was numbing and Baekhyun let the finality of the situation sink it. The spell worked. The bond was broken. There was nothing keeping Chanyeol tied to him anymore. Nothing would stop him from doing the things he wanted. But a question still lingered in Baekhyun’s mind…

_What did Chanyeol want?_

Baekhyun watched Sehun get up after Chanyeol was done drinking, his eyes fixed on the latter, waiting for an indication.

“Why isn’t he waking up?” Baekhyun asked, worried if Chanyeol was okay.

Sehun did not answer. Instead he kept his eyes fixated on Chanyeol.

There was no movement and for a minute, everything stood still.

Then out of nowhere, a sharp cry rang through the room as they all watched Chanyeol let out a painful growl. And then there was a burst of blinding bright light that erupted from within him that consumed the room. Baekhyun and others reflexively shut their eyes as the light was too powerful to be started at. It lasted for merely a few seconds and when Baekhyun and the others opened their eyes, horror struck.

Along with the light that had just vanished, Chanyeol too, had vanished into thin air like he had never been there to begin with.


	8. Chapter 8

**_I lived you in the storm_ **   
**_I felt inside my heart_ **   
**_I breathed you in the memories_ **   
**_You left behind_ **   
**_You may be gone but your presence lingers on._ **

Baekhyun walked into his office building when he was met with Kai on the entrance.

“Surprise” he said and Baekhyun lifted his heavy eyelids to meet Kai’s eyes. Sleep was a luxury to Baekhyun these days but he never let his jaded self show.

On the exterior, Baekhyun was a perfectly functioning, well oiled machine. Only he knew how his interiors were a complete mess and on the verge of giving out.

“Hi” Baekhyun pulled up a wide smile; a smile that had fooled Kai and everyone else around Baekhyun for the past 6 months. “What brings you here?”

“I thought I should surprise you with breakfast. You don’t eat well these days”. Kai pulled out a box of macaroons and sandwiches that he was hiding behind him.

“That’s because I have a lot of work. The game launched a couple of months ago and we have to add new elements for the upgraded version. No one at PreCorYun has had the time to eat or sleep”

_Liar._

The same voice that he had been hearing for the past couple of months, hounded Baekhyun’s brain but he discarded it. This voice had become a pretty common conscious prick.

And it belonged to Chanyeol.

For some reason, Baekhyun’s conscious had erupted in Chanyeol’s voice and even though it sometimes frustrated him, like it was doing now, Baekhyun wouldn’t want to let it go since it was the only thing he was left with that belonged to the Devil.

Kai smiled at Baekhyun sheepishly. “Thank god you have a fiancé who knows how to take care of you”

Baekhyun returned the smile with a fake one; one he had taught himself to look convincing enough. He hated deceiving Kai, he hated being the one who was breaking Kai’s trust but there was nothing else that Baekhyun could do for him.

He knew saying yes to a proposal out of politeness was wrong but he remembered the hopeful face Kai carried when he had proposed. He looked like the happiest man alive and Baekhyun did not want to take that away from him. Not after what he had done for Baekhyun.

When Kai had proposed a month ago, Baekhyun was nowhere close to saying yes to him. But he remembered how Kai had supported him through the mess he had been since Chanyeol left. Even though Kai knew why Baekhyun was in such a bad place, he never backed out.

In all his previous relationships, Baekhyun had thrown people out of his life before things got ugly and they were past the stages where they only saw the good in each other. Baekhyun did not let the relationship transcend into the next phase where they stood naked in front of each other with soul baring truths and ugly scars.

But with Kai, things were different. He never actually forced Baekhyun to do anything. Instead, he was just always there each time Baekhyun fell. Each time Baekhyun sunk in his sorrows, Kai was there to pull him out. Even if he knew it was because of Chanyeol, he never let Baekhyun feel like a burden.

And for a man who had done so much, if saying yes to a marriage proposal would mean happiness, Baekhyun was ready to risk it all.

“I will fall in love with him eventually” Baekhyun had told himself that night of the proposal.

 _No you will not_. Chanyeol’s voice echoed in his mind.

It had been 6 months since Chanyeol disappeared that day. For the most part of the past 6 months, Baekhyun blamed himself for the incident because even Sehun hadn’t been able to find him. No one knew where he was or how to get him back. No one knew if he was even alive.

In the past 6 months, everyone and everything went back to normal. People went on with their lives, the world spun like it always did and Chanyeol was still gone.

At first Baekhyun was hopeful that Chanyeol would return soon when he should have actually thought the opposite. Wasn’t the absence of the Devil from one’s life exponentially better than just about anything else? And yet Baekhyun couldn’t help but miss him and his presence. It could be because of his own guilt that be believed Chanyeol should be back but the same voice in his head kept calling him a liar.

Sehun had assured Baekhyun he would do everything in his power to find him but hours had turned into days, days into week and it was only when 3 months had passed that Baekhyun knew the truth. Either Sehun hadn’t been able to find him or if he did, Chanyeol did not want anything to do with Baekhyun so there had been no news of either of them since. And as those 3 months turned into 6, neither the guilt in Baekhyun’s mind faded, not did Chanyeol’s thoughts.

After Chanyeol’s disappearance, Baekhyun felt emptier as days went by. He couldn’t sleep for more than two or three hours at night because he was haunted by his own decisions that had led to Chanyeol being lost somewhere no one knew. Baekhyun thought everyday how things would be if he hadn’t been so stubborn about breaking the bond that day.

Baekhyun had never wanted Chanyeol in his life to begin with but the fact was that he was, and the fact that Chanyeol had trusted Baekhyun with everything, made Baekhyun feel more guilty.

The guilt was what drove Baekhyun to work like a maniac in the past months. He stayed at PreCorYun from sunrise to sunset and slept at his office if he ever did sleep. He let his work consume him and his mind, believing it to be the right distraction from thinking about Chanyeol all the time, but the truth was that going home was difficult.

Everything about the house made Baekhyun feel like a monster who had broken Chanyeol’s trust. Baekhyun admitted that he had stopped seeing Chanyeol as the Devil long back. Perhaps longer than he cared to admit. The first time he had seen Chanyeol hurt, his heart ached to save him. It was then that Baekhyun had realized that Chanyeol was as vulnerable as anyone else. And it was Baekhyun who had taken advantage of that.

After Kai left, making sure Baekhyun had eaten to his heart’s content, Baekhyun had every urge of running to a far place where no one could find him. Much like where Chanyeol was probably. Ever since his disappearance, Kyungsoo and Suho had become too careful about Baekhyun. While Suho was usually busy with his work, he never failed to conspire with Kyungsoo and barge into Baekhyun’s office four times a week and do nothing but just hang there.

They literally did nothing all day. Kyungsoo was usually immersed in his designing while Suho read medical journals and articles. What Baekhyun did not understand was why they needed to do that inside his office? At this point, there were less of Baekhyun’s own things inside the cabin and more of medical articles and sketches and drawings left behind by the two of them.

“Again?” Baekhyun asked as he saw Suho and Kyungsoo walk in with more of their stuff which Baekhyun hardly understood.

“I am really fine guys” Baekhyun began to explain. “You should stop coming here and go on with your lives. It’s been 6 months now”

Neither of them said anything, rather continued to set themselves up.

Suho usually took the couch near Baekhyun’s large desk while Kyungsoo took the opposite corner near the large window to get as much natural as possible.

“I am still stuck at the upgrade” Kyungsoo announced after a while of musing.

“No new ideas?” Baekhyun asked and Kyungsoo nodded.

“About what?” Suho curiously looked up from the papers and lifted his round framed glasses to the bridge of his nose.

“The upgrade for the game” Kyungsoo said.

“Witch’s hunt?” Suho asked and Baekhyun looked at him bemusingly.

“You know the name of my game?”

“Know the name? Bitch I have played it as well” he said taking his phone out. He turned the screen for Baekhyun to see. “I am on level 57”

Baekhyun was not only surprised but also a little worried for Suho’s patients who were probably being ignored for the game.

“That’s…” Baekhyun began, “… unexpected” he said.

“Yeah well this game is just up my alley. You know I am a sucker for anything medieval and supernatural.”

“So what’s the problem?” Suho further asked.

“We need to upgrade the game and add new elements. First upgrade introduced demons, second upgrade was angels and now were stuck at what extra to implement”

Suho stayed silent for a second. “Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso” he finally muttered, pleased with himself.

“What?” Kyungsoo asked. “Suho please speak in English”

“Well you have demons from Hell, that’s called Inferno. You have angels from Heaven, that’s Paradiso so you’re only left with monsters from Purgatory, aka Purgatorio”

Both Baekhyun and Kyungsoo looked lost.

“Seriously guys?” Suho yelled, “Have none of you read Dante’s Divine Comedy?”

“We don’t have the same taste in books as you, grandma” Kyungsoo snapped.

“Anyway” Suho said, ignoring Kyungsoo and looking at Baekhyun. “You can introduce monsters for the 3rd upgrade”

“What kind of monsters?”

“Well just about any kind” Suho said, all excited. “Shape-shifter, ghouls, vampires, werewolves, leviathans…”

“That last one” Baekhyun suddenly said interrupting Suho. “What is that?”

“Leviathans?” Suho asked and Baekhyun nodded. “From what I can remember, they were the first monsters created by god. Long before he created angels, humans, hell or…”

Suho did not continue but Baekhyun knew who he meant.

“That’s a pretty good idea” Kyungsoo immediately asserted when he saw Baekhyun’s expressions change upon the _not_ mentioning of Chanyeol’s name.

“I should probably start researching on these Captain Leviathanos things”

“It’s Leviathans” Suho hissed. “Not Captain Leviathanos you AOT-Marvel lovechild”

Their banter went on for a few minutes while Baekhyun tried his best to keep his mind on work and off Chanyeol.

Turned out, Suho’s idea was an instant hit. When Kyungsoo did his fair share of research and shared it at the meeting a few days later, not only was everyone immediately on board, but they also proposed a plan to make the angels and leviathans clash for the next upgrade.

“The third upgrade will be set on the Mountain of Purgatory” Baekhyun announced to his team in the meeting.

“As Kyungsoo explained the entire concept of the players hunting leviathans” he continued, “do not forget build a storyline in the backdrops”

“What can we add more to the player’s powers?” one of the members from the R&D team asked. “The players already reached the _Supreme Spellbinder_ stage in the last upgrade”

Baekhyun thought for a moment. As a witch, the players were given the freedom to first hunt using weapons in order to enhance their power and then promote themselves from Wicche to Enchanter and finally to the stage of Supreme Spellbinder. He wondered what could be added next.

_Dark Magic._

Baekhyun tried to shush Chanyeol’s voice in his mind but suddenly something struck him.

“Let’s make the game a little darker” he suggested.

“What do you mean?” the same person from R&D asked.

“The next three stages of being a Witch will be Shadow Hunters, Spirit Slayers and in the final stage, the players will be called Light Bringers.”

There was a murmur of confusion.

“Baekhyun” someone called out but Baekhyun was too immersed in his thoughts to notice. He could only hear the noise engulfing the room. “We still don’t understand”

Baekhyun sighed and placed his hands on the table calmly.

“In order for the players to upgrade from being a Shadow Hunter to Spirit Slayer and then to become a Light Bringer, they must use dark magic to defeat leviathans”

The room filled with excitement as they started following through what Baekhyun was saying.

“But this will be the final upgrade” Baekhyun suddenly announced.

“What?” Kyungsoo asked suddenly, standing up from his chair. “Baek…” he began but Baekhyun cut him short.

“In the final stages” Baekhyun began slowly, counting his own breath as if he was hanging on to each word for his own survival. “the Devil returns”

The meeting room burst out in buzzes and cheers, some even clapped at Baekhyun because fighting the Devil was the most exciting stage of the first version of the game they had released.

As Baekhyun spoke the words, Kyungsoo stared at him, worried about him more than ever.

“Since we have set this upgrade on Purgatory, we’ll show that the Devil wasn’t actually sent back to Hell in the first release. He was forced into Purgatory and the dark magic the witches use to kill leviathans, releases the Devil. The final upgrade will have 100 levels, just like each previous versions and will end with the hunter casting one final spell that will send the Devil back to hell”

When Baekhyun finished speaking, he realized he had been holding his breath. Thankfully no one else noticed, except maybe Kyungsoo. 

“Bring me a plan by the end of the day” Baekhyun said after clearing his throat, making sure his voce didn’t break the way his heart strangely did each time he thought of Chanyeol.

After the meeting Baekhyun did not feel like staying at work anymore. He knew Kyungsoo would have contacted Suho and told him about the minor breakdown Baekhyun had at the conference room and they would soon raid his cabin with things to distract him.

Any other day would have been fine but for some reason, Baekhyun did not have the energy to pretend to be okay. All he wanted was to go home and sleep through the day, hoping all of this would be a nightmare and would vanish when he woke up.

“Send the papers to my home” Baekhyun spoke into the intercom to Anne, his secretary. “And cancel all my appointments for today”

There was a small silence. “Boss…” Anne’s voice contained concern. “Is everything okay?”

“Everything is fine Anne. I am just feeling under the weather”

“Okay” she said after a while. “I’ll get the papers ready and send them over”

“Thanks” Baekhyun said.

“Oh and Baekhyun” Anne added. There were rare occasions when Anne called him by his name. All those rare occasions had been very significant in Baekhyun’s life. “Things will be okay soon” she finished.

Baekhyun smiled. Anne’s presence in Baekhyun’s life was older than PreCorYun. When Baekhyun was just starting out, Anne had approached him one day, telling him how she was looking for a job. Baekhyun had no means of paying her but that didn’t matter to her. She said she just needed a place to say and food to eat.

Baekhyun hid her in his college dorm room in final year when he was working on his first game. His game had massive potential, it was too ahead of its time and established companies were not willing to take risks. It took Anne almost 1 year to go from company to company, face relentless rejections until she finally found one that saw the future that Baekhyun had envisioned.

_“You did it Baekhyun. You finally did it”_

_“We did it Anne. Nothing would be possible without you”_

The girl was a miracle and treated Baekhyun like a younger brother. Baekhyun’s dreams had become her own and she always supported him. It was only natural that Baekhyun took her along when he established PreCorYun.

 _“Just let me be your secretary”_ Anne had said when Baekhyun wanted to offer her a higher position. Even though Baekhyun argued, Anne hadn’t budged.

_“Baekhyun, you’re the only family I have. Just let things stay as they were before”_

Anne knew Baekhyun perhaps more than he did himself. The first day Baekhyun had brought Chanyeol to work, everyone bought his story of Chanyeol being a friend from college. Everyone except Anne. She knew all his friends and Chanyeol was not one of them.

_“If you’re hiding this from me, I know there must be a good reason for it. So I won’t ask you anything until you’re ready to tell me. Just promise me one thing Baekhyun. Promise me you won’t end up getting hurt”_

It was amazing how Anne knew everything about Baekhyun in all the years that had passed. And yet Baekhyun knew nothing about her. She didn’t like to talk about her home, where she came from, her family or her life before she met Baekhyun.

Baekhyun respected her privacy and despite her not sharing her life with him, Baekhyun found himself trusting her blindly. And it was then that he really understood Anne’s words when she had called Baekhyun her family. That’s what family does. They don’t tell you everything, they probably hide most things about themselves but you still trust them and keep faith on them. And in all its truths, Anne too was as much a family to Baekhyun as he was to her. 

Baekhyun thought about the last time before this when Anne had called him by his name. It was the day after Baekhyun said yes to Kai’s proposal.

_“I don’t think you should have done that Baekhyun”_

_She’s right._ Chanyeol’s voice had sprung up the moment Anne said that.

Baekhyun had not paid much attention to what she said. He had not paid attention to Kyungsoo or Suho either when they said the same thing. For some reason, everyone was against Kai and Baekhyun’s engagement but no one really had an answer when Baekhyun asked them why they didn’t approve.

 _None of this matters_. Baekhyun thought as he drove to his house. _I’ve already said yes. There is no turning back now._

 _There’s always a way to turn back._ Chanyeol’s voice said in Baekhyun’s mind.

Baekhyun reached out and turned the music up, drowning every tiny voice that would pierce his thoughts. This was the worst of all times when he needed to hear Chanyeol’s voice.

When Baekhyun reached home, he stood outside the door and waited. He waited for his breathing to calm down, his thoughts to clear out and he waited for time to pass, hoping that things would perhaps change and Chanyeol would be there at home with the same intoxicating smile and monstrous appetite.

Slowly he turned the knob and went inside.

The first thing Baekhyun thought when he stepped into the living room was that perhaps he had been robbed. But then he walked further and looked carefully. Nothing was missing. Things were just disrupted.

The couch in the living room had been moved, the cabinets near the television were open, the books from the bookshelf had been thrown down.

Baekhyun walked to the kitchen. The cupboards were open, things had been taken out, the cabinet below the sink was disturbed.

Baekhyun was about to take his phone out and dial the police when he heard a noise coming from upstairs.

He held his phone tight in his hand and slowly walked up the stairs. Keeping his movement as silent as possible, Baekhyun managed to reach the upper floor in no time. As he stood in the hallway, he noticed all the doors on the floor were shut, all except one.

Baekhyun tiptoed to his bedroom and peeked in through the ajar door. No one was visible. All Baekhyun saw was a hand that rested on the edge of the bed as whoever the person was, was looking for something under it.

He looked at the hand carefully, ready to dial the police when his eyes fell on the ring on the finger of the person.

Baekhyun recognized the ring the man was wearing.

“Kai?” Baekhyun said.

Kai suddenly became still and slowly rose up, facing Baekhyun.

“What are you doing here?” Baekhyun asked.

Although they had somewhat started living together, Baekhyun wasn’t sure why Kai was going through his things.

“I was looking for umm...” Kai said suddenly dropping on his knees again and quickly taking off his ring before standing up and showing it to Baekhyun. “… my engagement ring”

For a moment Baekhyun thought about calling Kai out on his bullshit. Baekhyun had just seen the ring on his finger before he stealthily took it off to fool him. Why was he lying?

“I… uh I had taken it off before shower and I didn’t remember where I put it” he said, walking over to where Baekhyun was. He placed a hand on his shoulder and planted a soft kiss on Baekhyun’s forehead.

“I am sorry for the mess. I promise I’ll put everything back” he said and rushed off downstairs.

Baekhyun stood there, trying to figure out what had just happened. He went inside the room and found the cabinet of the table on Baekhyun’s side of the bed open with all the books scattered. Some of the books lay open on the floor.

For a split second, Baekhyun had a flicker of doubt in his mind. Was Kai perhaps looking for the Book of Necessities that contained forbidden spells??

The idea seemed ridiculous to him. There was no way Kai even knew such a book existed. There was no way he knew about how to use it.

But then he remembered. He had said he and his family were the descendants of the protector who served the witch all those centuries ago. Even though there was no direct connection between Kai and the book, Baekhyun couldn’t help but feel there was something off.

On numerous occasions after Chanyeol’s disappearance, Kai had asked about Chanyeol and where he had gone. He asked if he would return and when, almost as if he was looking forwards to him coming back. But for what?

Baekhyun picked up the books one after the other and placed them back in the cabinet.

Just then Kai came back.

“I have been called for a lecture at 7. I don’t think I’ll be able to come back tonight”

Baekhyun nodded. If anything, Baekhyun needed some time to be alone and think about things.

“Call me when you’re done” he said and Kai smiled before leaving.

Baekhyun threw himself on the bed and stared at the ceiling after he heard the front door shut. He pulled his hand up and looked at the platinum band that enclosed around his finger.

 _You are engaged to a liar._ The voice inside his head told him.

It made Baekhyun wonder about what else Kai had lied to him about. Baekhyun was not the type to pry too much. So much so that in all this time, he hadn’t even once visited Kai at his work to even be sure if he was truly a professor there. He hadn’t once been inside Kai’s apartment and he hadn’t met any of his family members or his friends, even though they were engaged.

He never thought much about it before but this one blatant lie made him question a lot of things about the man he was going to marry. Baekhyun hated playing games. Nothing good ever came out from them. He was a simple man with a very simple approach towards life. And thus he decided to talk to Kai about it straight up.

Baekhyun did not know how much time had passed with him being lost in his thoughts. When he checked his watch, he realized it was half past seven. Which meant Kai’s lecture would be in session. If Baekhyun left now, he would be able to get hold of Kai and ask him why he had lied. Baekhyun rushed up, knowing he had no time to waste.

When Baekhyun pulled his car outside the university building, the first thing he noticed was then even for late evening, the campus buzzed with people. The grounds were full with students sitting and chatting, some were busy on their laptops, some were just enjoying the breeze, some were talking about classes and some were engulfed in music as a band covered Plain White T’s Hey There Delilah. Baekhyun looked at them and smiled, remembering his own college life. Things were easier back then.

He walked up to the administrative building and found a woman sitting behind the desk.

“Hi” Baekhyun said to the woman in golden frame glasses and wrinkled face. She had a kind look. “I am looking for the History lecture room”

“History is on the first floor. 5th room on the left”

“Thank you” Baekhyun said with a smile and the old lady smiled back. Baekhyun turned around to leave but was stopped.

“But there’s no class today dearie” her shaky voice reached Baekhyun.

He looked at her for a moment. “I was told Kai… I mean Professor Kim is taking a class at 7”

The woman pushed the glasses up back to the bridge of her nose and stared at the computer on her desk, clicking a few times. She then looked at Baekhyun and shook her head.

“No dearie. There isn’t a history class scheduled for today. You can still go ahead and check. Maybe they added one last minute and I wasn’t notified”

Baekhyun thanked her and rushed up the stairs, hoping that whatever she said later was true. Baekhyun did not know if he was capable of adding one more lie to the list of things that made him distrust Kai.

As he walked down the hallway, he found the lecture rooms relatively empty with just a couple of students in the first two classes. As he walked further to the 5th classroom, he began to believe his suspicions were true.

Slowly pulling the door open, Baekhyun stepped in and just as he had thought, the class was empty. He checked his watch and it was 7.50pm. Kai’s lectures went on for about two hours so there was no way he had winded it up in less than one.

_So if Kai isn’t not here, then where is he and why did he lie to you Baekhyun?_

The voice in his head wad doing no good to him.

Baekhyun took his phone out and called Kai, wanting to check just how far he would go with the lying.

“Hello?” Kai’s voice came through just after the third ring. Even Baekhyun knew that was too soon for him to pickup considering how he should have been amidst his lectures.

“Hi are you done with your class?”

“Nah” Kai said. “Sorry babe I think I’ll have to extend it by another hour so I don’t think I’ll be free before 10”

“I can come pick you up. I have some work nearby so I can be there by the time your class ends”

There was a momentary pause.

“You don’t have to worry Baekhyun. I think I’ll just go home tonight”

“Sounds fair”

“I love you Baek”

 _Liar._ The voice in Baekhyun’s head answered.

“Me too” Baekhyun said into the phone before hanging up.

A lot of things were running in Baekhyun’s mind. Most of which had to do with Kai. What was he up to that he had to lie to Baekhyun? What was he doing that he had to cover it up? Where was he if not at the university like he had mentioned? What was he actually looking for when he turned Baekhyun’s house upside down? Did he perhaps know more than he led on? What exactly was he hiding?

All these questions that were stemming up inside of Baekhyun were beginning to doubt Kai and the relationship between the two. Something made Baekhyun certain that Kai was looking for the book of spells at his house but the question was- how did he even know if its existence or that it was with Baekhyun to begin with?

Unsure of his own doubts, he decided to seek help.

He dialed Kyungsoo’s number and waited for him to pick up.

“Baek” Kyungsoo’s voice rang from the other side. “Is everything okay?”

“I need you to do something for me”

“Sure what is it?”

Baekhyun loved that about his friends. They made promises first and asked questions later.

“I need you to find whatever you can about Kai. Family history included”

“No problemo” Kyungsoo said. 

Baekhyun knew Kyungsoo was trying to act all goofy to lift the mood.

“Why did you leave work early today?” he asked next. “Are you okay?”

Baekhyun sighed. “Ever have one of those days where you don’t feel like functioning?”

Even though Kyungsoo didn’t say anything, Baekhyun knew he was nodding on the other end. Kyungsoo had had more than one of such days.

“That’s what I felt today. I just didn’t want to exist for one day but even that was screwed up”

“I am taking it has something to do with Kai?”

“For the most part. But it’s also me. I don’t know what to do anymore”

“Baek” Kyungsoo’s voice was soft and mellow. “Take on life one day at a time. You don’t have to live the full length in on day. I know things will be better”

“Will they though? Will things actually be better? Will Chanyeol come back?”

Kyungsoo didn’t say anything for a while. “You really miss him, don’t you?” he asked after a minute.

“I… I don’t know. All I know is that it is my fault that he’s gone”

“Stop beating yourself up over it, Baek. It was not your fault alone. It is my fault as much as it is yours. It is as much as Suho and Sehun’s fault as much as it is yours. Why do you need to shoulder everything alone?”

“Because it was my decision” Baekhyun whispered.

“Look” Kyungsoo said. “I know it’s hard for you but Baek, you need to stop killing yourself over it. And I know you miss him, hell, I miss him too. Despite all the shit about him being the Devil, he was pretty cool. But you can’t put your life on hold just because he isn’t here. Besides, I Sehun’s still looking for him”

The last sentence struck a chord with Baekhyun.

“How?” he asked.

“How what?” Kyungsoo was confused.

“How do you know Sehun’s still looking for him?”

“Shit” Baekhyun heard Kyungsoo say. “Okay don’t freak out okay?”

“Just tell me” Baekhyun’s voice echoed in the deserted hallway of the first floor.

“Sehun keeps us updated from time to time”

Baekhyun suddenly found himself at loss of words. Sehun had been in touch all this while?

“Why?”

Kyungsoo knew Baekhyun’s why didn’t mean why he kept them updated. It rather meant why he hadn’t kept in touch with Baekhyun.

Kyungsoo sighed. “Because he made a promise that he won’t show up in front of you until he has Chanyeol with him”

“Where is he now?”

“I don’t know” Kyungsoo replied. “He’s probably with Suho, drowning in their own miseries at a bar somewhere”

Baekhyun was about to say something when Kyungsoo interrupted.

“Baek… leave him be. I am sure he’ll contact you himself when he has information on Chanyeol. He’s hurting a lot too, you know?”

Baekhyun did not know what to say to that. Kyungsoo was right. Baekhyun’s instincts right from the beginning had told him to trust Sehun and he did. And Baekhyun had no right to break a promise Sehun had made to himself.

“Okay. Find out about Kai and let me know” Baekhyun finally said before hanging up.

“That’s your 9th drink” Suho said, slouching to his left a little as he raised his hand and ordered for another round of scotch.

“Alcohol doesn’t affect us like it does to you humans” Sehun said, slowly sipping the golden liquor that Suho had ordered for him.

“Humans are weak, aren’t they?” Suho slurred.

“All creatures are weak” Sehun replied. “And all creatures are strong”

Suho looked at him in amazement. “I think you should stop drinking. You’re not making sense”

It made Sehun laugh and Suho realized that his laughs were very rare occurrences.

“I mean all creatures are weak when they are vulnerable but give them something to protect and there is nothing stronger in the make of this universe”

Suho nodded. “That makes sense. I think”

“And I think that you’ve had enough” Sehun pulled the glass away from Suho.

“Hey” Suho protested, suddenly looked around. He found people staring at Sehun weirdly. Suho’s eyes washed over to the demon and he noticed that it was probably the clothes he was wearing. Nothing about his attire seemed earthly. It hardly mattered to Suho but he did not like people giving Sehun a dirty look like he didn’t belong there. 

“I am not done drinking yet” Suho said, reaching out for the glass in Sehun’s hand.

“Yes you are” Sehun said, pulling his hand further back from Suho’s reach.

“I am sad okay. Just let me drink till I drop”

Sehun looked at Suho with a little concern. They had grown fond of each other in the past months. Sehun would meet up with either Kyungsoo or Suho and update them about his search for Chanyeol. But Sehun found it easier to talk to Suho than he did with Kyungsoo. The latter was on defense mode 24*7, questioning everything, being cynical of everything Sehun said and did like he had an ulterior motive. Suho on the other hand was more of a listener. And Sehun had found himself meeting Suho more often than Kyungsoo.

“Why are you sad?” Sehun asked. Probably focusing on someone else’s sadness would help him take his mind off of Chanyeol and how he had failed to find him over the last 6 months.

“I’ll tell you if you let me finish that drink”

Sehun looked at the half filled glass of scotch in his hand and then back at Suho.

“Not gonna happen” he said, shaking his head.

Suho closed his eyes and sighed.

For a second Sehun thought he was trying to control his anger. But the very next moment, Suho opened his eyes and smiled at Sehun.

Getting up from his barstool, Suho took his wallet out and placed a wad of cash on the bar table. Even from the looks of it Sehun could see that it was more than what they were supposed to pay.

“Let’s go” Suho announced as he caught Sehun by his wrist, dragging him behind.

“Where?”

“Shopping”

It took them an entirely of two hours to shop. Once Suho was done spending money for the night, and once he was sober enough from all the running around, he drove them back to his place.

“Where do I keep these?” Sehun asked lifting the numerous shopping bags.

Suho pulled a bottle of wine from the kitchen cabinet. “Want some?” he asked.

Sehun nodded.

Suho set himself on the couch in the living room and poured two glasses out while Sehun stood there, awkwardly with the bags in his hand.

“Do you want me to keep these in your room?”

“Why would you do that?” Suho asked. “They’re for you, silly”

Sehun blinked at him. “Are you fucking stupid?” he asked.

Even though the question was meant to come off as an insult, Suho noticed the hint of surprise in Sehun’s voice.

“Your clothes look like shit”

“Yeah well I don’t give a fuck”

“You should because people look at you like you’re homeless or something”

Sehun squinted his eyes at Suho. “Why do you care?”

Suho sipped his wine. “I don’t”

Sehun dropped the shopping bags on the flood by the couch and took a seat not too far from Suho. He picked his wine glass up and clinked it against Suho’s.

“Do you want to see something?”

Suho nodded like a kid standing outside an amusement park, waiting for the rides to start.

Sehun snapped his fingers and suddenly his clothes caught fire, burning away the fabric.

Suho was about to ask him to stop when he noticed that as each inch of Sehun’s clothes burned, new black fabric took its place.

Staring in amazement, Suho looked at Sehun. “Your magic sucks. That’s practically the same thing you were wearing earlier”

“Yeah but it is not dirty anymore” Sehun said looking at the raged and ripped thing he was wearing like skin. “See it’s new”

“You still look homeless”

Sehun crinkled his nose. “That’s because I’m a demon and can’t wear new clothes unless they’re offered to me”

“Umm hello?” Suho mocked, waiving his hands at the pile of clothes Sehun had just dumped on the floor.

“I am still not taking those” Sehun said and Suho made a puppy face.

“Why?” he asked. “I bought them all just for you”

Sehun sighed and got up. He picked up a bag and fished out the piece of clothing from it.

“Seriously?” he asked as he saw the flannel shirt.

“What?” Suho asked, hiding his face behind his wine glass. “Flannels look nice”

“If I didn’t know better I would have thought you wanted to domesticate me”

Suho cocked his head to the left and looked at Sehun. “Would you? Be domesticated, I mean.”

Sehun shook his head. “I am demon Suho, take a guess” he said as he wore the shirt that fit him perfectly.

“It looks good on you” Suho asserted softly.

“Wait for it” Sehun said and Suho found himself looking at the flannel shirt spontaneously combusting into nothing but ashes. “Told you I can’t wear them”

Suho downed his wine in one go. By then he had become accustomed to the whole supernatural thing Sehun and Chanyeol had going on for them.

“I guess even my money’s of no use”

Sehun heard the hurt in his voice. He quietly sat down near him and poured him another glass.

“What else is of no use?” he asked, looking Suho straight in the eye.

“Me” Suho said. The wine was getting to him faster than he had anticipated.

“Why?”

“Because I always disappoint everyone”

“Who’d you disappoint?”

Suho sighed loudly. “My father”

Sehun did not know what to say or ask anymore. He wanted to but he did not have the right words.

“I told my father I was gay and he asked me to fix it.” He gave out a half hearted laugh. “He asked me to fix it like it a machine that’s not functioning properly. Like it’s a disease. The man’s a doctor for fuck sake. He of all people should know that being gay is not a switch you can turn on and off at your convenience”

“Well” Sehun began, “if your father wants you to fix this, that’s his problem, not yours”

Suho squinted his eyes and looked at Sehun. “I didn’t know you were so wise”

Sehun smiled. “I didn’t know you were gay”

“I didn’t know you cared”

Baekhyun was walking back from lecture room 5 when he suddenly heard the students from room 1 talking.

“Do you think it’s goth enough?” a girl asked.

“Are you aiming for goth?” a boy asked her.

“Well I was aiming to question the principality of life after death but the more I dwelled into it the darker it became and now I just can’t shake it off”

Baekhyun heard the boy laugh. “You topic was The Doctrines of Purgatory. I don’t think there is any other way to deal with it than be goth”

There it was. The word Purgatory again. Baekhyun had been hearing the word a lot. Like it was a feeling that came back again. The word did not leave him for some reason. Even when Suho had mentioned it for the game, Baekhyun couldn’t help but think that he had heard it before. But where?

He shook his head and headed downstairs and was met with the same old lady again. He approached her with a smile.

“I guess you were right” he said. “No lectures today”

“Well I am known to be right quite a lot. Precisely why my first husband divorced me. Couldn’t handle a woman with a strong mind”

“Well too bad for him”

“Good riddance I say” the woman smiled.

“Good riddance” Baekhyun said with a nod and left.

Reaching home, the first thing Baekhyun did was put everything into place. Even though Kai had said he would clean up the mess he made, Baekhyun wasn’t sure when it would happen and he hated living in a house that looked like it was ransacked.

After he was done, he suddenly had a craving for chicken soup.

Baekhyun almost laughed at his own stupidity. In the past couple of months, he had tried to duplicate the recipe more times than he would care to admit, in hopes that Chanyeol would be back, but it never worked after the first time.

The nostalgia of that particular night left him wanting to explore more. He turned to go on the top floor and into the attic.

Once there, he forced himself through a lot of junk to get to what he was looking for. The Book of Necessities.

The book had collected dust and Baekhyun brought is down with him to the kitchen.

As he cleaned the dust off, the voice inside of his head came alive again.

_It all started with this book. We started with this book._

Baekhyun closed his eyes and let out a heavy breath. He flipped through the pages and reached the one that talked about summoning the devil.

“Will this work if I try one more time?” he asked himself but he knew the answer.

He kept the book down and suddenly had a craving for wine. He wanted to get drunk but not too drunk too quickly. Neither beer not scotch would achieve that. So wine it was.

When Baekhyun walked into the wine cellar, instinctively his eyes ran over to Cheval Blanc 1947 Saint-Emilion, the wine Chanyeol had first picked when he had been summoned.

“He loved this wine” Baekhyun whispered.

More memories from the night flooded in, like how Chanyeol had told him his name, how he had asked Baekhyun what he was, a question Baekhyun failed to understand even now. Baekhyun remembered how he had asked Chanyeol to go back and he had disappeared for a second and had come back. The argument after that and…

Suddenly Baekhyun had a stark moment of realization. He remembered.

Purgatory. That night when Baekhyun has asked Chanyeol to go back by snapping his fingers, Chanyeol had landed in the purgatory. A place he had taken Baekhyun and a place that felt dead.

There it was, the word shoved on his face once again like it had become an annoying habit.

Why was purgatory so hellbent on being inserted in his life?

Baekhyun remembered when he was in school, he had learned a new word _oblivion_. After that, everywhere he went, he saw and heard that word. It was like the word was haunting him.

And now it was purgatory that was haunting him. Why?

Baekhyun felt like the answer was staring at him right in the face and yet he was unable to see it.

What had Chanyeol told him about Purgatory when he had taken him there?

He remembered it was a place of nothingness. A place neither he nor Chanyeol wanted to go back to. It was a place even the gods had abandoned. But there was something else.

Baekhyun racked his brains to recall the conversation from that night.

He opened the wine bottle and took a large gulp from it.

“I am sure he said something else after he took me there” Baekhyun whispered.

 _Because I don't go back to hell when I snap my fingers. For some reason I end up in purgatory_.

Baekhyun’s eyes suddenly popped open wide. This was probably the first time he did not mind the voice in his head. This time it was giving him relevant answers.

And just like that, Baekhyun knew where Chanyeol was. He was certain.

Baekhyun sprang towards the living room so fast he dropped the bottle of the expensive rare wine but did not regret it one bit when he heard the crashing sound against the floor.

Once inside the room, Baekhyun rushed over to the kitchen and picked up a knife from the counter beside the sink.

In one swift motion, he slit the palm of his left hand and yelled. “Sehun”

It took Sehun hardly a second to appear before Baekhyun.

“Baekhyun” he said, as he appeared before him. “What’s wrong?”

“Sehun” Baekhyun was on the verge of crying. “I know where Chanyeol is”

Baekhyun, Sehun, Kyungsoo and Suho were seated in the living room where Sehun was tending to the cut on his hand.

“You didn’t have to make such a deep cut” Sehun softly said as he tried to heal Baekhyun.

“I am fine”

“That’s what you keep saying thinking we believe you each time” Kyungsoo snapped.

Baekhyun looked at him with a mixture of anger and annoyance in his voice. “Why are you two here?”

“Sehun called us” Suho said and Baekhyun notice their eyes met for a split second.

“So” Sehun began after he repaired Baekhyun’s palm to look like it was brand new. “You think Chanyeol’s in purgatory huh?”

Baekhyun shook his head, leaving Sehun confused for a second. “I don’t think. I am sure”

“But that’s impossible”

“Is it? You checked everywhere there was to check in the universe, haven’t you?”

Sehun nodded. He did really check every corner possible. That’s all he had been doing over the past six months.

“And did you check the purgatory?” Baekhyun asked.

Sehun shook his head. He hadn’t even thought of purgatory. It had nothing, no one. It did not even occur to him that Chanyeol could be there.

“Do the math”

“This isn’t so simple Baekhyun”

Kyungsoo and Suho were listening intently. There was nothing either had to add. They were not experts in the whole Devil-in-my-house deal.

“It isn’t so difficult either Sehun”

Sehun sighed. “Okay. Let’s say he is in purgatory. Then what? It is a land of vast nothingness. It lies between heaven and hell. It will still be impossible to find Chanyeol, even if he is there. I can’t promise how long it will take”

Baekhyun looked at him straight in the eyes.

“That’s why I am going to do it”

“No way in hell” Kyungsoo said and immediately looked at Sehun. “No offence”

“Baek, you can’t do that” Suho added and Baekhyun looked at each of them.

“Guys, haven’t you figured it out yet?”

Both of his best friends gave him a blank look.

“It’s only I who can find him”

“That’s absurd Baek” Kyungsoo said. “You’re being absurd”

Sehun was quiet for a moment as he looked at Baekhyun.

“I think Baekhyun is right”

Both Suho and Kyungsoo turned to him in shock.

“Sehun” Suho said, “You can’t possibly agree to this”

Sehun shook his head and then nodded, still confused. “I don’t know what it is but I really do think Baekhyun is right. An ordinary human can’t summon the King of Hell. An ordinary human can’t create a bond with him as strong as Baekhyun did. No ordinary human can turn the blood of a demon to golden elixir. And no ordinary human can get the Devil to care for him like Baekhyun made Chanyeol.”

For some reason, the last line took Baekhyun by surprise, even though deep down he knew it was true. Baekhyun did not know how he knew it. He just did.

“And if Baekhyun did all that, I think he can find Chanyeol too”

Suho was at loss of words.

“What if something happens to him there? What if he gets stuck? Do you even know how to send Baekhyun there, let alone bring them both back?”

There was the defensive Kyungsoo Sehun hated but today, he was asking all the relevant questions and Sehun did not mind it one bit.

“There is a spell” Sehun said.

“What spell?” Suho asked with concern.

“A spell to send him to purgatory”

“And to bring him back?” Kyungsoo asked.

Sehun did not say anything.

“What about the spell to bring him back Sehun?”

“When we send something to purgatory, it is because it is best to keep it there. There is no spell to bring something back”

“You’ve got to be kidding me” Kyungsoo almost yelled. “Baek, do you hear that?”

“Kyungsoo calm down.” Baekhyun said. “I just have to find Chanyeol. He can bring us both back”

“How are you so sure?” Suho asked. “He would have brought himself back if he could. The fact that he is not here means he can’t do it. Do you really want to risk your life over a blind faith?”

“I have to try” Baekhyun said.

“No Baekhyun, listen to me” Kyungoo held him by his arms.

“No Kyunsoo” Baekhyun yelled. “You listen to me. I have to do this. I was the one who sent him there. I have to bring him back. Because if I don’t I don’t think I will be able to live anymore knowing that while I live my life here, he’s out there somewhere lost and hurt”

“You’ll be fine Baekhyun” Sehun said and Kyungsoo shot him a glare.

“How can you be so sure?” he asked.

“I just know” he said and then turned to Suho. “We’ll need blood. Lots of blood”

Once they had arranged enough chicken blood, Sehun walked over to where Baekhyun and Kyungsoo were standing.

“I need a wall somewhere secluded.”

“There is an abandoned school for far from here” Kyungsoo said and Sehun liked that he had warmed up to the disastrous plan they were about to execute.

“That sounds good”

“I’ll drive” Kyungsoo said before drawing his keys out and walking towards the door. “Let’s go Suho”

Suho followed him out and Sehun looked at Baekhyun.

“Baekhyun are you absolutely sure?”

“No” he confessed. “But I don’t think there is any other way”

“Before we go, let me tell you time runs differently in purgatory”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ll see when you reach there”

Baekhyun nodded.

“Here is the spell you need to open the gates. I’ll be standing here, warding off any creature that tries to cross over”

“Wait” Baekhyun sounded nervous. “There are creatures there? I thought it was the land of nothingness”

“Well no one’s been there in millennia so I am not exactly sure if it still has creatures. I’ll stand guard just in case”

Baekhyun nodded but was not so sure he was up for fighting beasts. “What if I come across a creature? What do I do then?”

“Right” Sehun said. “I’ll be back in a second” he said and vanished before Baekhyun could blink.

“Baekhyun come out already” Kyungsoo yelled from the car.

“In a minute” Baekhyun said and just as he finished his sentence, Sehun appeared with what looked like a very sharp billhook.

“Here” he said, handing it to Baekhyun. “This will help you”

Baekhyun stared at the blade in his hand and then at Sehun.

“What am I supposed to do with this?”

“Fight”

“I don’t know anything about fighting”

“You’ll learn”

“Sehun” Baekhyun near yelled. “This is not a joke”

“I am not joking Baekhyun. This blade is forged in hellfire. Anything it wounds, it kills. I am not saying you’ll need it. I am saying it’s better to be safe than sorry”

Baekhyun sighed. “Okay” he said nodding. He was willing to take this risk for Chanyeol’s sake. Nothing else mattered at this point.

Let’s do this” Sehun said before they stepped out of the house.

The abandoned school at night was a scary place. Baekhyun wondered if this was making him so jittery, what would purgatory do to him?

It was like he was thinking too loud because Sehun looked at him. “You’ll be fine”

Baekhyun gave out a weak smile.

Kyungsoo and Suho let the way to the cafeteria which was not only huge, but also warmer than the other rooms in the building.

“This should do it” Kyungsoo said as he led them inside.

Sehun located an empty wall and asked Suho to bring him the blood.

Using the three fingers of his right hand, Sehun drew a circle on the wall. He then drew three diameters, dissecting the circle. After he was done, he made strange symbols on each of the six lines that shot out out of the circle. In the middle of it all, he drew an inverted triangle.

None of the others knew what it meant and they were not up for asking either.

“It’s done” Sehun said, turning around. He looked at Baekhyun and pulled a small knife out of his pocket.

“Mark the center of the triangle with your own blood as you say the spell out loud”

Baekhyun took the knife and handed the billhook to Sehun.

He looked at his hand which had been healed not too long ago. Not giving it another thought, he sliced the skin of his palm and thick maroon liquid gushed out.

Baekhyun took the piece of paper out that Sehun had given him and slowly walked over to the mark Sehun had made.

Placing his hand inside the inverted triangle, Baekhyun began saying the words out loud.

 _**“Omnipotens porta purgatorii** _  
_**Tibi fuerit, clausa nimis diu** _  
_**Lumina iam caligaverant** _  
_**Mortuus fuerit, misit retro”** _

Baekhyun looked at Sehun standing behind him and the latter nodded, giving him the indication to continue.

 _**“Sed nos stare ante te** _  
_**Ad aperta arma** _  
_**Et accipere nos** _  
_**Ut semper nos pertinebat ad vos”** _

Just as Baekhyun was done with the spell, he felt something burn under his palm and her jerked his hand away from the wall. What he saw next baffled him. The blood, his own blood had begun to burn, illuminating the marking on the wall that Sehun had drawn.

In a few seconds, the entire marking was giving off light, like the rays of the morning sun after a dark night.

Sehun walked over to Baekhyun.

“Take this” he said, handing him the billhook back. “Are you ready?” he asked.

Baekhyun nodded and just as he did, the marking on the wall disappeared and instead of it, stood emptiness, like a hole in the wall. The edges were smudged but Baekhyun knew it was a door to purgatory.

“Step in” Sehun said.

Baekhyun turned around to look at Suho and Kyungsoo who were holding each other’s hand.

“I’ll see you soon”

“You better or I will kill you” Kyungsoo threatened as Baekhyun smiled and walked into the darkness, vanishing the very next moment.


	9. Chapter 9

**_There's a place in my dreams_ **   
**_Where I meet you everyday_ **   
**_It is beyond the realms of existence_ **   
**_It is beyond the grasps of reality_ **   
**_Because in that place, you love me too._ **

  
  
  
  
  


Baekhyun stepped out into the cold, open emptiness with a heavy breath. Everything was dark and morbid. A strange feeling rose from the pits of his stomach and irked him all the way up to his chest. Whatever this place was, it was not somewhere worth living in.

For a moment his mind wondered about how Chanyeol had been living in this place all this time. He remembered how terrified it had felt the time Chanyeol had taken him to this place all those months ago. Baekhyun also remembered the look on Chanyeol's face. It said that he never wanted to be here either.

Baekhyun stepped onto the mushy ground. Every step he took in the directionless place made his insides curl. He looked around to get a sense of where he was or where he should go but all he could see was miles and miles of darkness.

"Well fuck" Baekhyun exclaimed softly to himself and yet he heard echoes of his voice reaching his ears.

"Chanyeol" he said, hoping his voice would resonate to wherever Chanyeol was. "Chanyeol are you here?"

Nothing came back except his own voice.

 _Go right,_ the voice in Baekhyun's head said. Chanyeol's voice was bleeding through his own thoughts and since Baekhyun did not know what else to do, he decided to follow whatever the voice said.

Baekhyun turned to his right and started walking.

_Keep walking straight._

And so Baekhyun did.

Holding the billhook tight in his hand, Baekhyun walked and walked, losing all sense of time. His only focus was to find Chanyeol.

He did not know how much time had passed or how long he would have to continue walking or if he would even be able to find Chanyeol. But this was the last string of hope he was holding on to and he knew he would see it to the end.

Baekhyun pulled his wrist up to check the time but the engulfing darkness was like a black hole, sucking in all light. Even his arms were not visible. Baekhyun put his watch to his ears and heard the tick and tock of the second's hand.

He breathed a sigh of relief. The mechanical working of a watch was really the most wonderful thing to exist. All he needed was some light to see how long he had been in Purgatory.

Knowing that standing still would do him no good, Baekhyun continued in the direction he had been walking in for the past couple of hours.

"Chanyeol" he yelled every once in a while. "Are you here?"

Each time the question remained unanswered.

"How much longer do I need to keep walking?" he wondered out loud.

 _Much... much longer._  
  
  
  
  
  


Kai was sitting in his study and wondering why Baekhyun had called him. It had been almost 6 months that Baekhyun hadn't done that. It was always Kai who had to contact him when he wanted to talk. Things had changed a lot after Chanyeol vanished. Baekhyun had changed a lot. And this impromptu call that he suddenly got, was way out of his character lately.

He wondered if Baekhyun had caught on to him and what he knew. If Baekhyun had the slightest idea of what Kai was up to, it would be very harmful to his plans. He couldn't let Baekhyun know the secrets he kept.

His thoughts were pricking him and anxiety grew with each passing minute. Unable to control himself, he immediately picked up his car keys and decided to drop by at Baekhyun's. He needed to know if Baekhyun had caught up to him.  
  
  
  
  
  


When Kai rang the bell to Baekhyun's house, no one answered. The lights were on and yet despite waiting for a couple of minutes, no one answered the door.

Taking the spare keys out, he decided to go in.

"Baek" Kai yelled into the house as he stepped into the living room. "Baekhyun are you home?"

When he did not get an answer, Kai decided to check the first floor.

Calling Baekhyun's name out repeatedly, Kai checked every corner of the house and once he was sure Baekhyun wasn't there, he descended downstairs.

He wondered if Baekhyun was at PreCorYun. He spent an awful amount of time holed up in that building since Chanyeol left.

He was about to walk out when his eyes suddenly fell on the kitchen counter.

Lying open like it was just an ordinary book, was the Book of Necessities. At first Kai didn't know what the book contained. But he had to admit he was curious.

Kai hurriedly opened the book and panned his eyes over each page. He immediately realized that it was a book of spells. Most of the spells mentioned in the book were utterly useless to him. His eyes were burning with excitement of finding something he had been dying to get his hands on since years. And something told him this book was the answer to all his questions.

He flipped a few more pages until he found something that hooked him immediately. The moment he landed on the page, his breathing hitched for a minute. Kai was right. He had been right all along. The sudden appearance of Chanyeol, his charm, everything about his monstrous appetite, his hold over Baekhyun, the sudden disappearance, everything had led Kai to think Chanyeol was the Devil. And when he saw the page that contained the spell to summon him, he knew his hunch was right.

Just on a hunch Kai had turned Baekhyun's house upside down, looking for something, anything that would prove Chanyeol was the Devil. He had been doing it for over 6 months now but not having proper access to Baekhyun's house made it severely difficult for him. When he had proposed to Baekhyun over a month ago, Kai knew the perks that came with it. Free access to his house.

Since then, Kai had been stealthily searching Baekhyun's house to look for any sort of proof on Chanyeol. But today was a bust because Baekhyun had decided to come home earlier than he anticipated.

There were a lot of things about this entire situation that surprised him. But what baffled Kai the most was not that Chanyeol was the Devil. It was the fact that Baekhyun had been able to summon him. It was impossible for an ordinary human being to achieve this and if Baekhyun had indeed summoned Chanyeol, it meant that he was anything but ordinary.

"What are you Baekhyun?" Kai asked out loud. "How did you make the Devil appear after all these centuries?"

Kai did not know how much time he had so he quickly turned the page.

The next page was what caught his attention. "Domare Diabolus"

He read every detail that the page contained and smiled in satisfaction. He couldn't believe he had struck gold.

He was about to turn to the next page when he noticed the page next to it had been torn. He ran his fingers across the torn page and recognized it from somewhere.

And then he suddenly remembered. Kai reached the back pocket of his jeans and quickly pulled out a piece of folded paper.

Carefully he unfolded it and placed it along the torn page.

The torn edges of the paper fit perfectly with those in the book.

Kai stared in amazement. This was it. This is what made the cycle complete.

Written in ancient, faded handwriting on the torn page, were the words "Tenetur Diabolus"

"Bound the Devil" Kai exclaimed as he stared at the two pages side by side.

The page that he owned was given to him by his grandmother. She had told him of an ancient book of forbidden magic that could summon, tame and bound the Devil. Kai had just been looking for evidence to prove his theory right that Chanyeol was indeed the Devil.

But what he found, was far, far greater than what he had anticipated.

Not wasting any further time, Kai took his phone out and took a picture of the spell that summoned the Devil and the spell that tamed the Devil. Folding the paper he had taken out back again, he kept it neatly in his pocket.

Kai looked around one last time and smiled. Things would change soon.  
  
  
  
  
  


Baekhyun was still treading on his path, full of resolve but shoulders and legs jaded and worn out. He wondered if he was just walking or was he actually going to reach anywhere anytime soon. It felt to him like almost half a day had passed.

He paused for a minute, looking around in doubt. Maybe he was not going in the right direction after all. Shouldn't he have reached at least somewhere by now?

But he knew there was no way of knowing. Walking in purgatory was like walking through thick black smoke. You never knew where you were going until you reached there.

He turned to the direction he was previously walking in, ready to keep going.

As soon as Baekhyun was about to retake the first step forward, he heard something.

"Baekhyun" a voice called out his name. Baekhyun immediately turned around, to see where the voice came from.

"Baekhyun" the voice called again but Baekhyun was lost. The voice was coming from all directions.

Chills ran down Baekhyun's spine. He recognized the voice like he recognized his own.

"Mum?" Baekhyun wailed softly. How was this possible?

"That's right my sweet boy. It's you mum"

Baekhyun frantically looked around. Was it really his mother? What was she doing in purgatory?

"Mum where are you?" Baekhyun asked.

"Follow my voice Baekhyun. I am right behind you"

Baekhyun turned around. He was now facing the opposite direction of where he had previously been going.

"Come my sweet angel, mum's waiting for you"

"Is... is it really you mum?" Baekhyun asked, tears forming in his eyes. Would he really get to see his mother once more if he followed the voice?

 _It's a trap._ The voice in Baekhyun's head said. _Your mother's not here._

Baekhyun was not ready to listen to Chanyeol's voice in his head. He was so tempted to follow the voice of his mother that he hadn't heard in almost 10 years. Was there even a slight possibility that his mother would be here?

"I am here Baekhyun. Don't you want to see your mother?"

Baekhyun stared after the darkness that echoed his mother's voice.

_You're stronger than this Baekhyun. You know this isn't your mother._

"Come to me Baekhyun. Come to your mother"

Baekhyun looked at the direction his mother's voice was coming from and then at the direction he was supposed to be going to.

He wanted to follow his mother's voice, in hoped of seeing her one last time. To see her beautiful smiling face, to let her caress him and hold him in her arms like she always did. Baekhyun wanted to tell her what he had become and he knew his mother would be so happy to see him turn into the man she always dreamt of. Baekhyun wanted to tell her how much he missed her and how much he loved her. He wanted to tell her that he was okay. He was not alone. He had made friends who would do anything for him and for whom he would do anything too. He wanted to tell her about the bizarreness of summoning the Devil and everything that conspired after it.

Every fiber in his body was telling him to take that one step that would lead him to his mother. He was almost ready to take the first jump that will allow him to be with her once more.

Just as he was about to step his foot in the direction of the voice, Chanyeol's voice came alive again.

_Baekhyun your mother is in heaven. She is not here._

Baekhyun blinked. As the words sunk deep within him, he realized the voice was right. Deep down in his heart he knew his mother wouldn't be here. Nothing stayed here. And the woman that his mother was before dying, she would be nowhere but heaven.

"Come to mum Baekhyun. It's been so long since I've seen my beautiful boy's face"

Baekhyun looked at the emptiness that was resonating his mother's voice.

"You're not my mother" Baekhyun said, closing his eyes. "You're not my mother"

Even if it was breaking his heart to say the words out loud, he knew it had to be done.

"YOU ARE NOT MY MOTHER" Baekhyun finally shouted loud enough for his voice to pierce through the darkness and reach the horizons of the trap that was laid out for him.

A loud scream ran through the air upon hearing Baekhyun's words. It was shrill and morose like the sound of a dying animal which made the hair on Baekhyun's neck rise.

In the next moment, Baekhyun heard the scream getting closer to him.

Baekhyun wanted to turn around and run. The darkness and the uncertainly of whatever the thing was that was running towards him, made him scared.

_Don't run._

And so, despite his own judgment, Baekhyun stood, as whatever the thing was, kept screaming and kept getting closer to where Baekhyun stood.

In no time, a strong gush of air collided against Baekhyun's chest and died upon contact, killing the scream with it.

Baekhyun clutched his chest and dropped to his knees. He suddenly felt like he had aged by many years as the weariness of it all fell upon him.

_Turn around and keep walking._

Baekhyun took a heavy breath and stood to. He turned around and followed Chanyeol's instructions in his head.

He had no time to stop and let things get to him. This was purgatory. He should have expected this to happen. In fact, Chanyeol had warned him on the very first day he took him here.

_"Stay there for too long and you lose the meaning of your existence"_

Baekhyun remembered these words said by Chanyeol and now he truly understood what it meant. Purgatory played with your deepest regrets, fears and memories. It brought your past back to you and no one who lived in the past would ever be able to escape the chains that purgatory bound them in. Soon you started to believe that whatever purgatory showed you was the truth and the more you invested yourself in it, the more you lost touch with your reality and your existence.

Holding the billhook tighter in his hand, Baekhyun walked forward in the direction he was originally intended to follow.  
  
  
  
  
  


"Do you think he's alright?" Suho asked in worry.

Sehun wasn't sure himself but he knew nothing good would come if Suho or Kyungsoo panicked.

"It's only been a few minutes" Sehun tried to assure him.

"So?" Suho began to panic. "People die in minutes. They die in seconds..."

"People die in the most unexpected circumstances" he continued, taking short breaths. "If Baekhyun dies there, we won't even get him back. We won't even get to see him again..."

Sehun saw Suho was thinking too much. He looked around for Kyungsoo to pacify him but he had stepped out for a minute to answer a call. Not knowing what else to do, Sehun approached Suho and pulled him in for a hug.

He slowly rubbed his hand on Suho's back, motioning it up and down to make him relax.

"He'll be fine" Sehun whispered. "He is the man who summoned the Devil. He won't die so easily"

Sehun's words and his embrace seemed to calm Suho down a little but he was nowhere back to his normal self.

"But he will die in difficult circumstances?" Suho asked, popping his head up and staring into Sehun's eyes.

"That's not what I mea..." Sehun was about to say but was interrupted.

"Any pro..." Kyungsoo announced stepping into the cafeteria and stopping midway when he saw Suho latching on to Sehun. "... gress?"

Sehun immediately let Suho go. "He was panicking" he said in a guilty tone.

Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow and approached them. "Sure" he said. "Let's go with that"

Suho looked at Kyungsoo with the same sad puppy eyes. "Soo what if Baek doesn't come back?"

Kyungsoo was well aware of how much Suho worried about just about everything.

"Then we'll go get him" he said, walking up to his best friend. "But I don't think that will be necessary. Baek has pulled through far worse shit. This is a cakewalk"

Sehun noticed how Kyungsoo's words assured Suho. Something he had failed to do. He smiled at the friendship these two shared. They really would do anything for Baekhyun. It reminded him of the friendship he had formed with Chanyeol. He too would do anything for Chanyeol and he knew Chanyeol would do the same.

Turning around, Sehun took guard outside the gates of purgatory that they had opened. Nothing had happened so far and he was hoping nothing would happen either.  
  
  
  
  
  


Baekhyun had lost all sense of time. He remembered it was a little before 10 pm when he had stepped into the purgatory. But since nothing was visible inside, he had no way of knowing how much time had passed.

After walking for what seemed like a couple of hours again, Baekhyun took a pause. Nothing had come after him since the time when he had heard his mother's voice. No creatures had surfaced since he had been in purgatory.

For a second, Baekhyun wondered if there actually were any creatures in the place.

_Wishful thinking._

Baekhyun then knew what Chanyeol's voice in his head meant to say. It was almost as if Baekhyun was hoping to encounter a creature because just the moment he had thought about it, he heard footsteps approaching him.

The only problem was, the darkness was mountainous and he had no way of knowing where these things were coming from.

Baekhyun swung the billhook in the air, hoping to ward off whatever was approaching him. But his breath hitched when he heard multiple footsteps. Whatever it was, it was not alone.

"Stay away from me" Baekhyun said, taking a swing with the billhook but only cutting the air.

Baekhyun suddenly heard a growl and his senses went numb. The noise came from right above his right shoulder. Baekhyun felt the steaming breath of the creature on his neck and out of reflex, he tried to swing his billhook to the right, hoping to hit the creature.

But before he could do that, a hand caught him by the wrist. Then another caught his other wrist. The force with which the creature was gripping Baekhyun's hand was insurmountable.

"Ah" Baekhyun wailed as he felt his grip on the billhook loosen and before his hands went numb, he heard the soft thud of the weapon falling on the ground.

"Can't we just eat it here?" the thing on Baekhyun's left asked and Baekhyun's blood ran cold. He couldn't die here like this, he hadn't even found Chanyeol yet.

"Master will get angry" the creature on the right said. "We need to bring this thing to him and he'll tell us what to do"

"He will let us eat it eventually" the left one said and Baekhyun listened to them in horror. Was this the end?

"We still have to take it to him" the right one finally said and before Baekhyun could breathe, he found himself zapping into thin air before falling to the ground. As he lay with both his hands and feet on the mushy black ground, Baekhyun could tell just by the feel of it that he had been transported to some other place in less than a second.

Taking a deep he titled his head up and pushed himself off the ground to stand straight.

What Baekhyun saw, surprised him. This place where he was standing was far from the miles and miles of darkness he had walked through. There was a fire lit not too far from where Baekhyun stood. Right across the fire was a big wooden throne, which he presumed was for the master these creatures had mentioned earlier. There were trees on the left and huts on the right. And then Baekhyun's eyes fell on the creatures that were holding him.

He almost let out a cry when he saw these monsters who were almost 8 feet tall. Their skin was wrinkly and black and their hands reached till the ground. Instead of what was supposed to be a face, was just a mouth with long, sharp fangs protruding from all sides and two small holes where a nose should have been. They had no eyes and Baekhyun wondered how they saw in the dark if they had no source of vision. They really did look like monsters.

As he stood there, wondering what was in store for his fate, Baekhyun looked around to see if there was any possible escape route. Chanyeol was nowhere close to being found and Baekhyun wondered how long he had been in this wretched place and how long he would be here further.

He tried to break his hands free from these creatures that were holding him but neither of them budged. For some reason, they were staring straight ahead, across the fire and at the throne.

The fire was too big and the flames were too high for Baekhyun to see clearly. But he could analyze that in the next moment, someone walked over to the wooden throne and took a seat.

"Master" voices in unison echoed through the place and Baekhyun saw that there were many such creatures like the ones who were holding him. Possibly hundreds, even thousands. Baekhyun had no way of knowing. And the moment their master took the seat, they all bowed down.

In that very moment, the ones who were holding Baekhyun released his hands as they knelt on the ground to pay respect to their leader.

Baekhyun thought this was the perfect opportunity to escape so he turned on his heels and sprung in the opposite direction.

He had hardly run a few paces when he heard a voice.

"Stop" it said and suddenly Baekhyun stopped.

Slowly Baekhyun turned around, unable to understand what was happening. He walked steadily back to where he had run from.

This wasn't possible. There had to be a mistake. The voice. It was all a mistake.

When Baekhyun reached the fire, the flame was dying down but not enough to see the beast sitting on the throne.

The hideous creature on Baekhyun's right placed his hand on Baekhyun's shoulder and forced him down.

"Kneel" he said with pressure, making Baekhyun fall to the ground with a jerk. The creatures were far too strong for a human and the sudden force made Baekhyun's knee hit a big piece of rock, busting it in the process.

Baekhyun tilted his head up. The fire had completely mellowed down, giving Baekhyun's eyes a clear access to the being sitting on the throne. A clear access to a face he recognized.

"Chanyeol?" Baekhyun asked, a wave of shock running down his spine. "You're... you're their master?"

His eyes panned over the familiar figure who sat in all his glory on the throne. But he was not in his human form anymore. He was back to being his red skinned Devil.

"Master" one of the captivators looked at Chanyeol said, "Do you know this being?"

Baekhyun did not take his eyes off the Devil. He saw that Chanyeol sat there, expressionless, staring right back into Baekhyun's eyes.

Slowly Chanyeol got off his throne and descended down. He made his way across the gathering of the creatures and across the fire that burned between him and Baekhyun. As he stepped in front of a kneeling Baekhyun, the latter noticed the familiar snap of his fingers and just like that, the Devil transformed himself into his human-like form that Baekhyun had grown to know.

Reaching his hand down, he placed his finger under Baekhyun's chin and lifted him up slowly.

Baekhyun looked at Chanyeol and a wave of relief washed over him. He saw recognition and concern in Chanyeol's eyes but then he saw the hate that Chanyeol's orbs were resonating. Baekhyun thought he must have been mistaken, that there was no way Chanyeol would hate him. But then he remembered what he had done to him and how he had betrayed his trust.

The Devil that stood before Baekhyun was familiar only on the exterior. On the inside, was an entirely different entity.

Chanyeol looked at Baekhyun carefully, his eyes reading every detail of Baekhyun's face, as if he was memorizing the flawless make. His fingers moved from under Baekhyun's chin and the latter felt like he would fall apart if not held by the delicate hands of Chanyeol.

Grazing his thumb on Baekhyun cheeks, Chanyeol felt the soft shudder that Baekhyun let out before he placed his finger under his chin once again.

And without any warning, he reached down and took Baekhyun's lips in his.

The moment Chanyeol's lips touched Baekhyun's, the latter felt his knees go weak. Without even knowing that he was doing it, Baekhyun parted his lips, allowing Chanyeol to explore the insides of his maw to his satisfaction. And before Baekhyun could realize what was happening, Chanyeol already had him wrapped in his arms, sealing his lips deeper into the kiss.

"It's the Master's mate" the creature standing behind Baekhyun yelled and then another one and soon, every creature that stood there apart from Baekhyun and Chanyeol began chanting that Baekhyun was Chanyeol's mate.

Upon hearing the loud noises, Chanyeol pulled away from Baekhyun, leaving the latter still fazed and weak from the kiss.

"Spiros, Nyx" Chanyeol said, looking at the creature standing being Baekhyun. "Keep him in the hut and make preparations for tonight"

The two beasts, Spiros and Nyx who were holding Baekhyun nodded on Chanyeol's command and pulled Baekhyun by his arms.

Before Baekhyun could say something to Chanyeol, he was already being dragged into one of those huts at the far end.   
  
  
  
  
  


Baekhyun was sitting tied to a wooden pole with things that seemed like ropes. Except they were thorny and pierced into Baekhyun's skin when he tried to move.

He could still feel the effect of Chanyeol's kiss on his lips. Baekhyun failed to understand why Chanyeol had asked the two beasts to keep him inside this hut. And what preparations had he asked Spiros and Nyx to make?

One of the beasts, which Baekhyun presumed was Spiros, was standing guard outside the hut while the other one was nowhere to be seen.

Baekhyun waited and waited for something to happen but hours passed and nothing actually did. Occasionally Baekhyun heard commotions coming from outside but that too died down soon enough.

Lost and tired, Baekhyun felt his eyes droop slowly. He had been walking for miles and miles and the tiredness was beginning to catch up to him. He adjusted his leg, making sure the wound on his right knee would not start bleeding again and rested his head against the pole he was tied to. Soon he drifted off to sleep.  
  
  
  
  
  


When Baekhyun opened his eyes again, the noises from outside the hut had faded quite a bit. Baekhyun looked around, adjusting his eyes to the dimly lit room by a fire torch. As he panned his eyes around, he suddenly stopped when his gaze fell on someone sitting right opposite of him.

Baekhyun immediately recognized the features.

"Chanyeol" he said, eyes gaping in surprise. Chanyeol did not move, nor did he say anything.

"How long have I been asleep?" he asked.

"A few hours" Chanyeol replied in a soft voice.

"How long have you been sitting there?"

"A few hours"

Baekhyun tried to look at Chanyeol but the only thing he saw was the shadow that was casted on his face. It made reading Chanyeol's expressions difficult.

"What are you doing here Baekhyun?" Chanyeol finally asked after a moment of silence.

"I came here to take you back"

Upon hearing Baekhyun's words, Chanyeol stood up and walked over to him before kneeling down and looking him straight in the face.

"You shouldn't have come here Baekhyun. This is no place for the living"

Baekhyun noticed that Chanyeol wore no expressions and there was no way for him to know what he was feeling.

"This is no place for you either"

Chanyeol sat down, averting his eyes from Baekhyun.

"I am sorry I kissed you" he said. "That was the only way for them to not hurt you"

Baekhyun blinked, unable to find words to say. He felt stupid for feeling the things he had felt when they were kissing each other. Things he had never felt before.

"Well don't do it again" Baekhyun said, trying to make light of the situation.

His words made Chanyeol laugh and Baekhyun realized how much he had missed seeing that.

"Why are you laughing?" Baekhyun asked.

"You kissed me Baekhyun" Chanyeol said with a smirk. "I just reached down to leave a small peck. It was you who kissed me"

Baekhyun suddenly found his cheeks burning. Was Chanyeol telling the truth? Baekhyun did not remember much except the feeling that had rushed all over him when their lips met. He had no recollection of who kissed whom.

He cleared his throat. "We need to get out. Sehun, Kyungsoo and Suho are waiting on the other side and it's been hours since I have been here."

"Time here is not the same as it is on earth" Chanyeol said and Baekhyun remembered Sehun had said the same thing.

"What does that even mean?"

"Well if you've been here for a couple of hours, it would only be a couple of minutes back on earth"

Baekhyun tried to wrap his head around this. "So if..." Baekhyun began, trying to draw parallels between the two places. "... you've been missing from earth for 6 months, how long have you spent in purgatory?"

Chanyeol did not answer at first.

"How long Chanyeol?"

He gave out a sigh. "60 years" the Devil said.

Baekhyun couldn't believe what he was hearing. Chanyeol had spent an equivalent of 60 years in purgatory?

_I did that. I sent him here._

"Why didn't you just leave?"

"I couldn't" Chanyeol said. His expressions changed a little, becoming sterner. "Every time I tried to leave, I was sucked back in, deeper than before"

"I am so sorry Chanyeol. This is my fault"

Chanyeol shook his head. "It's fine Baekhyun. I am fine. Stop feeling guilty. The only thing I have seen on your face since I saw you here is guilt. Stop torturing yourself"

Baekhyun felt like even if he apologized to Chanyeol every minute of every day, it would still not be enough.

"I am sorry" was all Baekhyun said.

"Baekhyun" Chanyeol began. "Seriously it's not that bad. I mean the first 20 years were horrible. I had to fight to survive but I've been ruling these creature for the past 40 years and it's actually fun"

"Survive?" Baekhyun asked. "You're the Devil Chanyeol. You don't need to survive anything"

Chanyeol smiled. "These creatures are Leviathan Baekhyun"

 _Leviathans._ Baekhyun remembered Suho telling him something about them.

"Even though purgatory was made when I fell from heaven, Leviathans have been around since the beginning of time. Since before you or I were created. They're far stronger than me." Chanyeol continued. "So yeah, I had to survive and kill their leader to take over so that I wouldn't be killed and eaten"

Baekhyun repeated each word Chanyeol had just said in his mind.

"How did you survive this far?" Baekhyun asked.

Chanyeol gazed deep into Baekhyun's eyes. "How could I not?" he asked. "I had something to go back to"

Neither of them said anything for a while, but Baekhyun knew what Chanyeol meant. He knew all Chanyeol wanted was to go back to the place he belonged to, to go back to Hell.

"We need to leave now" Baekhyun asserted. He wouldn't let Chanyeol stay in purgatory for another minute.

Chanyeol shook his head. "I can't leave"

"Why?"

"They'll sense my absence. And then they won't spare you"

Baekhyun shook his head. "I am not going back without you"

"Don't be stupid Baekhyun" Chanyeol said. "I am fine here. You need to get back to the place you belong"

But Baekhyun was adamant.

Chanyeol sighed at how stubborn he was being. "Fine" he said finally. "I'll go on a round and check if they're all sleep. We leave once they've all been knocked out"

Chanyeol got up and began to leave when Baekhyun stopped him.

"Chanyeol?" Baekhyun said as the Devil turned around. "What preparations were you talking about when you gave them the orders?"

Chanyeol cleared his throat in embarrassment. "It was for consummation" he said in a low voice.

"What?" Baekhyun asked, baffled.

"Can't have a mate without mating" Chanyeol announced and immediately ran off, leaving Baekhyun in a deep red and mortifying state.   
  
  
  
  
  


Chanyeol came back an hour later.

"Okay" he said, walking up to Baekhyun and reaching down to untie his hand.

"Everyone's asleep. Time to go"

Baekhyun nodded and stood up, balancing himself on his left leg. He lost balance for a second but Chanyeol held him by his arms. Baekhyun noticed how Chanyeol's jaws were tightened when he saw Baekhyun wince in pain.

"You ready?" Chanyeol asked, masking his emotions.

Baekhyun looked at him and pursed his lips.

"Umm Chanyeol?" he said in an awkward tone. "I didn't want to say anything earlier because we'd met after like 6 months..." he began. "... but you're still very naked"

Chanyeol panned his eyes over his body and then back at Baekhyun.

"Well this isn't exactly a hot spot for Balenciaga showroom, is it?"

"I am impressed you remember the name"

"The only human thing I liked, apart from food" he teased.

Baekhyun smiled at him. He missed interacting with Chanyeol and it was only then that it dawned upon him that this was the first genuine smile he had let out in 6 months.

Chanyeol held his hand out and Baekhyun grabbed it with all his might. And just like he had been brought into this place from out in the darkness, Chanyeol zapped them out together.

In a blink of an eye, they left the dimly lit hut and were now back in the cold openness of the nothing.

"Which way?" Chanyeol asked Baekhyun but the latter looked lost.

 _Straight._ The voice in Baekhyun's head said.

"Straight ahead" Baekhyun pointed and Chanyeol nodded.

Chanyeol still had Baekhyun's hand in his, gripped tightly.

"How far is the gate?" Chanyeol asked.

_Not far._

"It's nearby" Baekhyun replied.

Leaning on Chanyeol, Baekhyun hopped his way through the unknown.

They had been walking for about half an hour when Chanyeol turned to him.

"Are you sure you don't want a piggyback ride?" Chanyeol asked, halfway through.

"For the 5th time, I don't." Baekhyun snapped. "Where did you even learn that word?"

"Coffee Prince" Chanyeol said innocently.

"Huh?" Baekhyun asked, completely unaware of what Chanyeol was talking about.

"It's a TV drama" Chanyeol replied in an as-a-matter-of-fact manner like it was a pretty common knowledge.

Baekhyun was about to say something when Chanyeol shushed him.

"What is it?" Baekhyun asked, looking around.

"I think the Leviathans found us"

Baekhyun frantically tried to search for them but the darkness was consuming and his vision failed him. Before he could do anything, Chanyeol hurled him in his arms and ran.

"Straight ahead?" Chanyeol asked.

"Straight ahead" Baekhyun nodded, wrapping his arms around Chanyeol's neck, holding on to him.

As they ran through the never-ending night, Baekhyun heard the Leviathans getting closer and closer. They were fast. Extremely fast.

"We'll make it through, right?" Baekhyun asked Chanyeol.

"Yes" Chanyeol replied, panting from all the running he was doing with Baekhyun in his arms.

Baekhyun couldn't help but note the uncertainly in his voice.

After running for another minute, Baekhyun faintly could make out the gate he had stepped in through.

"Chanyeol I see the gate" he said and Chanyeol looked straight ahead.

Chanyeol leapt forward but the moment he was about to run through the gate, he saw Nyx standing between him and the exit.

"Move away Nyx" Chanyeol commanded. "Let him through"

Faint light was seeping in through the opening of purgatory and Baekhyun looked at Chanyeol in shock.

"Chanyeol we're getting out together" he said.

Chanyeol set Baekhyun back on the ground as the latter hopped to find balance to stand straight.

"I am sorry Baekhyun but it's too late for me to go back with you"

"No" Baekhyun let out in a wail. "I said I am not going without you"

Chanyeol saw Nyx approach them and he knew the other Leviathans were not far behind.

"You killed Spiros" Nyx said, walking towards him. "You killed him"

Nyx swung his arm to reach Chanyeol but missed by an inch. Chanyeol dodged and grabbed Baekhyun by his wrist.

Seeing that the exit from purgatory was clear and there was no one else standing in the way, Chanyeol dragged Baekhyun with him and stood at the edge of the portal between earth and purgatory.

"I am so sorry Baekhyun" he said. Baekhyun's eyes gaped in horror as he realized what was about to happen.

Behind Chanyeol, Baekhyun could see a swarm of leviathans running towards him.

"Chanyeol... no" Baekhyun said. "Please" he begged.

Baekhyun could see the creatures approaching Chanyeol, ready to devour him.

Chanyeol drew out a sword in his left hand and looked at Baekhyun.

"Go" he said, with a resolve to fight the leviathans as they came for Baekhyun. "I will hold them back. You need to go"

Baekhyun grabbed Chanyeol by his arm. This was not happening. He was not about to let go of Chanyeol once more. Not again.

Chanyeol saw that Baekhyun wasn't moving. He was not ready to go back. With one swift motion, Chanyeol pushed Baekhyun, making him cross the edge of the open door.

As Baekhyun stepped back, he felt the door closing on him.

"Baekhyun" Sehun, Suho and Kyungsoo yelled as they saw him come out of the darkness.

With all that he had in him, Baekhyun was fighting to keep the door of the purgatory open. He saw Chanyeol turn around and fight the leviathans one after the other. Few of them were trying to reach the gate, wanting to grab Baekhyun but Chanyeol slayed them before they could.

"Chanyeol" Baekhyun yelled when he saw one leviathan sink his fangs on Chanyeol's shoulder from behind.

"No" Baekhyun screamed when he was thrown out on the other side.

Suho and Kyungsoo rushed through to him as Sehun started in horror. Chanyeol was still inside purgatory.

Baekhyun stared at the hole on the wall that was growing smaller and smaller.

Suddenly he felt a surge of energy run through him. He did not know what was happening but it was like every muscle in his body was on fire. He could feel the wave of electricity running through his veins and he did not know how to control it.

By then the gate if purgatory had begun to vanish. It was no longer a giant hole in the wall, rather, was now just the size of fist.

With unexplained energy pouring out from within Baekhyun, he rushed to the wall and grabbed the edges of the gate with his bare hands.

"Argh" Baekhyun roared as he used all his strength to keep the door from closing.

"I... am... not... leaving... you... behind" Baekhyun screamed and with that, he began stretching the edges of the gate, making it bigger and bigger.

"How..." Suho asked, looking at Baekhyun fighting against unnatural forces. "How is he doing that?"

Neither Kyungsoo nor Sehun had an answer.

In the very next moment, Baekhyun managed to open the gate wide enough for him to pass.

With one loud thud, he stepped into the purgatory, eyes mad with rage and fingers dripping with raw power.

Chanyeol was on the ground, fighting with the last bit of strength left inside of him as two leviathans gnawed at his shoulder and arm.

He turned around and saw Baekhyun surface back again. But this time, Baekhyun eye's were glowing blue.

"Step away from him" Baekhyun roared in a voice that was alien to him as well as Chanyeol. It was like the voice had been sculpted with sheer power.

The leviathans turned to look at Baekhyun. A few of them leeched away from Chanyeol and ran towards him.

Baekhyun saw them approaching.

He raised his right hand and suddenly all the beasts running towards him stopped on their tracks.

They tried to move but it was like they had been locked in their state, motionless.

Nyx and the other leviathans saw this and they got off Chanyeol. Nyx slowly stood up and started walking towards Baekhyun, followed by the other creatures closely behind him.

Baekhyun grazed his eyes over to them and gave out a pitiful smile. Nyx was ready to charge at Baekhyun when he raised his left hand and just like before, Nyx along with the ones behind him came to a sudden halt.

"Chanyeol" Baekhyun said, eyes moving to an injured Devil. "Get out"

Baekhyun's voice was almost command like. But it felt like he didn't even know what he was doing.

"Get out" Baekhyun growled, sending ripples through the air.

Chanyeol buried his sword on the ground and hoisted himself up with the support. As he walked towards the gate of purgatory, his eyes didn't leave Baekhyun even for a second.

Baekhyun was now exhuming flames from every part of his body. Blue, magical flames, just like the color of his eyes.

When Baekhyun saw Chanyeol standing by the gate of purgatory, he turned to the leviathans that he had under his control.

"Pereat" he said softly and just as the word escaped his lips, each creature standing there that was under Baekhyun's hold, turned into ashes and fell to the ground.

From somewhere far away, both Baekhyun and Chanyeol could hear more leviathans approaching them and neither knew if they had it in them to stop them.

Baekhyun turned around and looked at Chanyeol.

"Let's go" he said and Chanyeol nodded.

Chanyeol stepped in first. The moment he stepped out the other side and on earth, Sehun and the others rushed to his aid. Chanyeol was badly hurt.

All four eyes suddenly turned back to the gate when they saw Baekhyun walking out.

To Chanyeol's relief, the flame had died out and his eyes were back to its normal color.

"Close the gate" Kyungsoo told Sehun.

Handing Chanyeol over to Suho, Sehun stood in front of the dark portal.

He closed his eyes and spoke something under his breath. He then opened his eyes and stared at the door of purgatory in confusion. Closing his eyes once more, he repeated the process but nothing happened.

Baekhyun could still hear the leviathans from the other side of the door. In a few seconds, they would come crashing in if the door was not sealed again.

"What's the problem?" Kyungsoo asked.

Sehun was unsure himself. "The door" he said, turning to every one of them. "I can't seal it"

"Step aside" Baekhyun said.

"Baekhyun it's not that easy" Sehun retaliated.

Baekhyun looked at Sehun with a soft smile. "Trust me" he said and Sehun immediately stepped away from the door.

"Knife" Baekhyun ordered and Sehun handed him the knife he was holding.

Baekhyun repeated the procedure of slicing his palm with the knife and held it across the open door that led to purgatory.

Taking a deep breath, Baekhyun began speaking the words.

 **_"Mori descendit purgatorio_ **  
**_Et manere in quo sunt_ **  
**_Te creata a lapsum diabolic_ **  
**_Et hodie, faciet eum ortum_ **  
**_Aperi portas tuas, et semel,_ **  
**_Et prope eos post nos_ **  
**_Nam nos, sed ultimum vale"_ **

All four of them who stood behind Baekhyun stared in shock as they saw the spell working and the door shrinking. It kept decreasing in size until it collapsed into nothingness.

"How... how did you do that?" Sehun asked, still unable to believe what he saw.

"I don't know" Baekhyun replied honestly. "It was like my mind already knew what I was supposed to do"

Kyungsoo and Suho were unable to comprehend the situation.

"Baek" Suho suddenly said, his eyes falling on Baekhyun's busted knee. "You're bleeding"

Baekhyun looked at his knee and realized the wound had opened again. He then turned to look at Chanyeol who too was bleeding profusely and needed more attention than he did.

He slowly walked over to where Chanyeol was standing, with the last bits of energy in him.

Baekhyun places both his hands on Chanyeol's cheeks, cupping his face carefully.

"Let's go home" he said. 


	10. Chapter 10

_**I look for you** _   
_**Even when you’re right in front of me** _   
_**Even when I can feel you on my skin** _   
_**Even in the darkness** _   
_**My eyes have always searched for you** _

It was a cold, silent night. The full moon hung dryly on the black, consuming canvas of the sky as the wind carried lores of the unknown, passing through the rustling trees.

Sehun had taken Chanyeol to Baekhyun’s room so that he could try and heal him. Baekhyun was sitting with Kyungsoo and Suho on the couch in his living room as Suho tended to his wounds.

No one spoke a word.

Except for the occasional wails that Chanyeol let out, there was complete silence in the entirety of the large house.

Baekhyun was lost in his own world. His surroundings failed to capture his attention. His mind was running its due course and the finality of his actions was beginning to sink in.

He had killed someone. Something. More than one.

Baekhyun clenched his fist. He had gone to purgatory to wash off one guilt and instead, he came back with another. He knew the leviathans wanted to hurt Chanyeol, to kill him. He knew they wanted to cross over to this world and possible kill anyone they encountered. He knew he had done the right thing but there was a feeling deep inside of him that didn’t allow him to reason with himself.

Suho had walked over to the kitchen sink to wash off the medicine from his hands while Kyungsoo was on call with someone.

Baekhyun lifted his hands up and stared into the palms.

These were the hands that had killed all those creatures.

There were many things Baekhyun was feeling at that moment. He felt guilty, relieved, tired, calm, frustrated, confused most of all but the only feeling that seemed alien to him was the satisfaction that was beginning to surface inside of him.

He still had no clue how he had done what he had done, but strangely, it felt like a second nature to him; like he was always meant to do it. It did not feel like something new or something learned or acquired. Whatever he had become that night, felt like it had always been a part of him.

And it was a scary thought because if Baekhyun was what he had turned into in Purgatory, he didn’t know who he was anymore.

A chill ran down Baekhyun’s spine upon realizing that killing something was an act he should detest. Something he should hate himself for. But for all the reasons he could not explain to himself, it felt like the right thing to do.

Baekhyun felt a hand on his shoulder that broke him away from his thoughts. Kyungsoo was staring at him with worry in his eyes.

“Baek” his voice reached Baekhyun’s ears. “Are you alright?”

Baekhyun wasn’t sure if he had the right answer to the question so he just stared at Kyungsoo.

“I killed them Soo” he said absentmindedly. “I killed them all”

Suho, who was making coffee now, immediately dropped everything and rushed over to where they duo were seated.

“What are you talking about?” he asked calmly. “Who did you kill?”

Baekhyun’s eyes had gone blank. It was like he was on a different surface.

“Baekhyun” Kyungsoo shook him a little to bring him back to reality. “Talk to us”

Among all the things Baekhyun could hear, Kyungsoo and Suho’s voice did not reach him. He heard his own voice, he heard Chanyeol’s screams, he heard the voices of the leviathans while they were engorging on Chanyeol and he heard the voice of the man Baekhyun had turned into in purgatory. Baekhyun did not recognize that voice. It was not his own.

_Pereat._

Baekhyun did not even know what that word meant. Or what language it was. And yet he was able to say it like it had been living on his tongue since ages.

“I killed them” Baekhyun repeated again, his mind playing back the flashes of the events that had conspired in Purgatory.

“Baekhyun” Suho said as he tried to calm him down.

Baekhyun was shaking now, unable to calm his nerves.

“What is happening to him?” Kyungsoo asked Suho.

“He is panicking” Suho replied. “Find me a paper bag”

Kyungsoo immediately rushed to the kitchen to find something that could help. He soon found a small bag that had donuts in them with the words “Love, Kai” written on the front side. Kyungsoo quickly emptied the bag and ran over to where Suho and Baekhyun were.

“Here” Suho said, handing Baekhyun the paperbag. “Breathe into this”

But Baekhyun was too lost to comply. It was like his hands had failed him. He was now taking in short, frequent breaths and Suho knew it would soon result in difficulty in breathing.

“Baekhyun listen to me” Suho said, as calmly as he could. “It’s okay. We’re here. Kyungsoo and I are here for you”

“No” Baekhyun yelled, still staring into air. “Stay away from me. Stay away”

Suddenly Baekhyun’s panting increased. He was shaking more than before. Suho was about to ask Kyungsoo to get the car ready to take Baekhyun to the hospital when he heard Chanyeol and Sehun walk down the stairs. Chanyeol had not completely recovered but he looked less wounded than he did before.

“Can you give us a minute?” he asked in a low voice as he approached the living room.

Neither Kyungsoo nor Suho budged.

Chanyeol looked at them assuredly. “Trust me” he said and just like that, Suho, Kyungsoo and Sehun walked out of the living room and into the backyard to give them space.

Chanyeol sat down next to Baekhyun and something inside of him ached from seeing Baekhyun in this state.

“Baekhyun” he said softly and Baekhyun flinched at the voice.

It was like Chanyeol’s voice was trying to break through the barrier Baekhyun had created around himself.

Holding Baekhyun by his arms, Chanyeol forced him to turn so they could face each other.

“Look at me Baekhyun” he said in the same soft voice but Baekhyun seemed far too gone to listen to him.

“Look at me” Chanyeol repeated himself, his voice stronger, more commanding now.

Slowly Baekhyun aligned his focus on the source of the voice he could faintly hear.

Chanyeol found a hint of lucidity him.

“It’s okay Baekhyun” he said, retorting back to his soft tone now that he was sure Baekhyun could hear him.

“I…” Baekhyun began. “I killed all those creatures. I killed them Chanyeol”

“It’s not your fault” Chanyeol replied, his hands holding Baekhyun’s frail and shaking arms steadily. “None of this is your fault”

Baekhyun blinked for the first time since he’d been panicking. He wanted to believe Chanyeol but something was holding him back.

“It _is_ my fault. They’re all dead because of me. I did all of that” Baekhyun said after a while, drifting to and fro the edges of his nightmare.

“Shh” Chanyeol tried to pacify him. “You did nothing wrong Baekhyun”

Baekhyun turned his eyes away. Despite everything Chanyeol said, Baekhyun refused to listen to him.

There was a moment of long silence in which nothing could be heard except Baekhyun’s breathing. He shook his head like it was a tic, refusing to die down.

“I am a monster” Baekhyun finally spoke after what seemed like eons had passed between them. “I am a monster”

The moment he heard Baekhyun say that, Chanyeol reached out and placed his hands on Baekhyun’s face, forcing him to look into his eyes.

“You’re not a monster Baekhyun” Chanyeol said in a soft, velvety voice. “I know a monster when I see one, and you’re not it”

Something in Chanyeol’s words seemed to be getting through to Baekhyun.

“But it doesn’t change the fact that I killed them all” Baekhyun replied, more in control of his voice and his breathing.

Chanyeol shook his head as he cupped Baekhyun’s delicate face in his own coarse hands, like letting him go would break him into infinite pieces.

“You saved my life.” Chanyeol finally said, softly grazing his thumb over Baekhyun’s cheeks. “And you saved the lives of everyone here. Had any leviathan passed through that gate, none of us would be sitting here right now. You saved us all Baekhyun.”

In the very next moment, Chanyeol pulled him in for a hug.

The walls that Baekhyun had been building around him for the past couple of minutes, suddenly came crashing down as he let himself be held by Chanyeol. And for the first time in several years, Baekhyun let his tears flow, like they would wash his sins away.

Once Baekhyun had calmed down and was in control of his thoughts, Chanyeol went back to resting in Baekhyun’s room. Kyungsoo had left for the night as he had a lot of work with the designing of their game’s upgrade and Sehun had vanished somewhere saying he had some urgent matter to attend to and no one had the energy to ask what it was.

“Don’t you have patients to look after?” Baekhyun asked Suho who was still sitting on the couch and playing ‘Witch’s Hunt’ on his phone.

Suho shook his head. “I’d rather just stay here”

Baekhyun noticed something was odd about Suho. He had spent quiet an awful amount of time at PreCorYun in the past few months. Initially Baekhyun believed it was because of him but soon he realized that even though supporting Baekhyun might have been a primary reason, there was something Suho was hiding from.

He wanted to ask Suho what was wrong but Baekhyun knew he wasn’t the kind to be pushed around. He would tell Baekhyun and Kyungsoo what was going on when he was ready so Baekhyun did not pursue his thoughts.

“Well I need to sleep and you need to go home” Baekhyun said instead.

Suho scowled and turned his phone off.

“Fine” he announced, getting up, ready to leave. “Call me if you need anything” he said and let himself out.

Now that Baekhyun was sitting in the silence of his home, his mind drifted to everything that took place in purgatory for a second.

He immediately shook his head, not wanting to recall the night.

“I should go to sleep” he announced to himself and decided to retire for the night.

Managing to walk up the stairs, Baekhyun stood outside the door of his room for the longest time. His hands hovered over the doorknob, wondering if he should check on Chanyeol.

After much deliberation and constant hesitation, he decided to peek in, just to make sure Chanyeol was fine. He turned the knob and slowly opened the door.

Chanyeol was sleeping comfortably. Involuntarily, Baekhyun’s legs walked forward to where Chanyeol was lying down. The lights were off and he decided to keep them that way.

Baekhyun took the chair by the window, careful of his knee. Sehun had offered to heal him but Baekhyun had refused. He believed he did not need any kind of saving after what he had done in purgatory.

The moonlight hit Chanyeol’s face, leaving a soft glow that radiated across his features.

A smile erupted on Baekhyun’s face when he noticed that Chanyeol slept like a baby. He looked peaceful like there was nothing to worry about in the world. His eyes suddenly fell on Chanyeol’s lips and Baekhyun’s smile widened. Chanyeol slept with his lips parted and to Baekhyun, it was the cutest thing ever.

He reached his hand out and hovered his finger about an inch over Chanyeol’s lips, never quite touching it. He traced them in the air, storing the details in his memory.

The lips that belonged to the Devil.

The lips that had kissed him.

The lips whose taste Baekhyun would never forget.

Drawing his hands back, Baekhyun rested his back on the chair, never letting his eyes leave Chanyeol’s face.

It had been a while since Baekhyun felt so peaceful, not haunted by any thought. With nothing in his mind, Baekhyun let his eyes close like he had been waiting for this moment to finally be able to rest.

And for the first time in 6 months, Baekhyun slept.

The first thing Baekhyun noticed when he woke up the next morning was that he had passed out on the chair. He yawned into the day and just by the angle of the sunlight in the room, Baekhyun could make out that it was around 9 in the morning.

His sight fell on the bed and for a second, Baekhyun froze.

Chanyeol was up. And he was looking straight at Baekhyun.

As he stared back into Chanyeol’s brown orbs, Baekhyun contemplated if he should pretend to be asleep again or should just rush out of the room. Both seemed highly unlikely.

Chanyeol didn’t take his eyes off Baekhyun and all Baekhyun remembered thinking was that it was too early to feel so hot on a cold morning.

“Since… umm… since when have you been up?”

Chanyeol did not respond. He continued to look at Baekhyun.

Baekhyun felt like Chanyeol’s eyes were trying to tell him something. Even though his wounds seemed to have healed, Chanyeol looked tired and weak. Baekhyun wondered if it was the purgatory that had done that to him. Made him weak?

“Do you want some coffee?” Baekhyun asked, in an attempt to get up from the chair but the moment he put pressure on his right leg, he squirmed in pain and sank back to his chair.

Chanyeol reached his hand out and tried to hold Baekhyun’s leg but the latter drew back.

“It’s fine” Baekhyun said. “It’ll heal in time”

Continuing to be silent, Chanyeol moved forward and firmly grabbed Baekhyun by his calves, lifting his right foot up to rest on Chanyeol’s thighs.

“Chanyeol…” Baekhyun said, trying to free his leg but Chanyeol did not budge. Every time Baekhyun tried to free himself, Chanyeol held his legs tighter.

There was a strange firmness in Chanyeol’s face that Baekhyun noticed. It was strange because it was a look Baekhyun had never seen before. He wondered what that look meant. When Baekhyun had met Chanyeol in purgatory, he could feel Chanyeol had changed. 60 of living with creatures that wanted to devour you would change anyone. But for some reason, Baekhyun wasn’t ready to accept it. Now that Chanyeol sat before him, in flesh and with purgatory living inside of him, with words he refused to speak, Baekhyun was finally coming to terms with everything.

Things between then would never be the same.

Before Baekhyun had decided to go to purgatory to find Chanyeol, a part of him already knew this. A part of him had already accepted it. He had betrayed Chanyeol’s trust. And despite him being the Devil, his trust was really like that of a child. Innocent and for all to own.

And for the very same reason, Baekhyun did not want Chanyeol treating his leg. He did not want to owe anymore than he already did to him.

“I am fine” Baekhyun said..

Even then, Chanyeol continued to hold his leg, refusing to let go, refusing to say a word.

Placing the palm of his right hand on the knee, Chanyeol began tending to it.

“Stop” Baekhyun snapped. “I told you it will heal in time”

“It is a wound from purgatory” Chanyeol finally said, in a grave tone. “It won’t heal on earth’s terms”

Suddenly, Baekhyun felt a surge of familiar burn in places Chanyeol’s hand worked.

Closing his eyes, Baekhyun let the burning sensation sink in. It was hurting him, but the hurt was nowhere close to how cold Chanyeol’s words had felt. He wondered why he was affected by it so much. What exactly was he expecting from Chanyeol? It was obvious he would not welcome Baekhyun with open arms. Chanyeol had spent 60 years of his time in purgatory because of him. And even though Baekhyun had expected Chanyeol’s coldness, he never realized how painful it would feel.

When Chanyeol was done, Baekhyun saw that his knees had healed completely.

“I would like to have that coffee now” Chanyeol simply said, letting go of Baekhyun’s leg.

This was good. Chanyeol asking for things was good. It meant not everything had severed between them. It gave Baekhyun a tiny hint of hope.

But hope for what?

Baekhyun knew Chanyeol did not belong on earth. He knew he was supposed to be in hell and that they would need to send him back soon. So what exactly was he hoping to achieve?

Nodding at Chanyeol’s request, Baekhyun got up and walked out of the room.

The moment Baekhyun left, Chanyeol rushed over to the washroom.

Holding the sink by both his hands, Chanyeol coughed aggressively. He felt like his insides would explode.

Chanyeol failed to understand what was happening to him. He had never shown such behavior. He was, after all the Devil. And right now, standing in Baekhyun’s washroom, coughing his lungs out, he felt more like a human than a creature from Hell.

He felt weak and worn out.

Chanyeol coughed once more but this time, he stared at the sink in horror, upon realizing that he was spitting blood. Black blood.

A sting ran down his body suddenly. He twitched his head upon feeling the pain radiating from his shoulder and arms.

Lifting the t-shirt over his right arm, Chanyeol looked at himself in the mirror and in that very instant, all his reasoning came to a sudden halt.

The wounds had resurfaced. The wounds that Sehun had healed. The wounds that Chanyeol had inflicted in purgatory. And it was seeping blood in the same color as what Chanyeol had coughed a few seconds ago.

Chanyeol managed to clean his wounds and cover it properly before going downstairs to where Baekhyun was. To his surprise, Suho and Kyungsoo were already there. So was Sehun.

Kyungsoo was in the kitchen with Baekhyun while Suho and Sehun were busy in a conversation Chanyeol did not want to interrupt.

“How do you feel?” Kyungsoo asked as he handed Chanyeol his coffee.

Chanyeol nodded. “Better”

Kyungsoo pursed his lips and nodded back.

Chanyeol knew the nod. He understood it. In Kyungsoo’s language, it meant ‘I don’t hate you anymore’. Chanyeol smiled. Strangely enough, it felt good to not be hated by Kyungsoo.

Baekhyun noticed how Chanyeol had failed to meet his eyes but he did not let it get to him.

“What’s with them?” Chanyeol pointed towards the other two sitting in the living room.

“Been hanging out a lot lately” Kyungsoo replied. “A lot since you left”

“Interesting” Chanyeol said.

“Yeah?” Kyungsoo asked. “How so?”

“Sehun doesn’t socialize” he replied. “He doesn’t like talking much unless he’s lecturing me”

“Well he likes talking to Suho”

Both of them noticed that Sehun had a hint of smile on his face as Suho was telling him something.

“And he definitely doesn’t smile” Chanyeol added.

Kyungsoo shook his head. “The world’s coming to an end I suppose. Sehun is smiling and talking, Suho is avoiding work, I am friends with you, Baekhyun’s engaged to Kai”

Baekhyun froze.

Chanyeol almost turned his head to look at Baekhyun. Almost. The hesitation of the movement was so subtle that Baekhyun thought he had imagined it.

Instead of choosing to look at Baekhyun, Chanyeol quietly sipped his coffee and stared out the window behind where Suho and Sehun were seated.

“Congratulations I suppose” was all he said before he too headed to the living room to join in the conversation.

Chanyeol’s reaction, or rather the lack of it pinched Baekhyun for some reason. He didn’t understand why he wanted to seek Chanyeol’s validation or why he thought Chanyeol’s reaction to the news was important to him. But when he had congratulated him, Baekhyun felt as if his heart was drowning and there was no way to save it.

Kyungsoo stared after Chanyeol and looked at Baekhyun. “Something’s wrong with him”

Baekhyun did not say anything. But if Kyungsoo too had noticed the change in Chanyeol’s behavior, and if it was something that was so clearly evident, Baekhyun did not know if he had it in him to go back to what they were before.

 _What_ were _we before?_

Both followed Chanyeol to join Suho and Sehun in the living room.

It was mutually decided by all that they’d take the day off and stay at Baekhyun’s place.

“Just like old times” Suho said with a wide grin like all five of them had been friends forever.

“Just like old times” Kyungsoo repeated.

Baekhyun noticed that Chanyeol was smiling at them and in that moment, he felt happy. It didn’t matter that Chanyeol was still avoiding looking at him. But just to have him back and the five of them sitting in the living room together, made Baekhyun feel content.

Chanyeol was beginning to feel the pain from his wounds rise. He had been sitting with everyone for over an hour now and as each minute passed, the pain escalated.

He had carefully wrapped the injury on his shoulders and upper arm with bandages he had found in Baekhyun’s cabinet but he wasn’t sure how long it would hold.

Sehun noticed something was wrong with Chanyeol when he seemed lost and distant. He found his perfect opportunity when Kyungsoo decided to fix them something to eat but soon realized Baekhyun was out of anything that could be turned into decent food.

“Why don’t you guys go and get the grocery?” Sehun offered.

“Can’t you just zap yourself to the store and be right back in like 10 minutes?” Suho asked back but Sehun pursed his lips at him. In the past six months, Suho had caught on a few habits of Sehun and this definitely meant he was trying to send them out of the house for some reason.

“Let’s go” Suho announced, pulling Baekhyun and Kyungsoo by their arms.

“Wait” Kyungsoo retorted. “Didn’t you just say Sehun can get everything sooner?”

“Yeah but I changed my mind. I need fresh air”

“There’s plenty of fresh air out in the backyard” Kyungsoo said.

“Fine” Suho said. “You stay here. I and Baekhyun will go”

“I am not going either” Baekhyun said and Suho closed his eyes in frustration. He had the thickest friends in the history of mankind.

“I’ll treat you to my Double Heart Attack Burger” he finally announced and both Baekhyun and Kyungsoo leapt from their seats, ready to leave.

“What’s that?” Chanyeol asked curiously and Baekhyun noticed how this was the first thing he had said in the past one hour.

“Oooohhhhh” Kyungsoo began excitedly. “It’s Suho’s signature burger. 7 greasy meat patty, 8 cheese slices, lots of jalapenos, onions, lettuce and tomatoes. Topped with crispy fried bacon”

Kyungsoo looked like he could taste of the burger in his mouth.

“Why is it called Double Heart Attack Burger?” Sehun asked.

“Because Suho claim we’ll die of double heart attacks if we eat more than one” Baekhyun replied with a grin.

“Yeah… he doesn’t let us eat that very often” he continued.

“That’s coz I don’t want to be framed for your murders. Do you know how unhealthy these burgers are?”

“We know Dr. Kim” Baekhyun said, pulling Suho away and dragging him out of the house. “You never let us forget”

Kai was running exceptionally late for his lectures. He had stayed up all night looking up about the book he had found in Baekhyun’s kitchen but nothing really turned up on the internet. His university had a vast range of books that dealt in history and he knew he could definitely find something there.

When he entered the lecture room, it was in commotion.

“Alright” Kai said. “Settle down”

He took his laptop out. “Where did we leave off last week?” he asked.

“You gave a brief introduction to Jivaka and his practices in the 5th century BC” one of the students said.

“Right” Kai nodded. He turned the projector and his laptop on and the image of an ancient sage came alive in front of the students in the large lecture room.

“Did any of you read up?” Kai asked and a few students nodded.

“Okay. Tell me what was Jivaka known as?”

A student raised his hand and Kai nodded at him. “Medicine King” he said and Kai smiled.

“That’s right. Now can any of you tell me who Jivaka served?”

Another student raised her hand. “The Buddha and King Bimbisara and his son King Ajatashatru of Magadha from India”

“Which dynasty?” Kai asked.

“Haryanka” the girl replied.

“Very good” Kai said with another smile and changed the slide.

“JIvaka was far ahead of his time. There are countless documentations of him performing surgeries even as complicated as brain surgery.” Kai said with a pause.

“Imagine doing that in the 5th century BC. With limited tools, limited knowledge of human body and limited references to take help from”

A round of murmur spread across the classroom.

“Do you know what he was most closely associated with?”

None of the students answered so Kai moved on to the next slide.

“Gyneacology.” Kai answered. “He was also closely associated with pathology and paediatrics.”

Another round of disbelief passed through the crowd.

Kai moved on to the next slide.

“Can anyone tell me what an Arhat is?”

No one raised their hands up.

“Arhat in Buddhism is defined as the one who has gained the true insight of life and existence and thus has achieved Nirvana”

“Isn’t that like a band or something?” one of the students asked.

“It is and they have some great rock numbers” Kai answered back. The class laughed.

“But that’s not what I am talking about here.” Kai continued. “In Hinduism, Nirvana is a state of being everything and nothing.”

The class was confused and so Kai continued to explain.

“When you achieve the true knowledge of your existence, it is believed you hold the entire universe inside of you. It is then that you leave behind all material ties and become _shunya,_ zero. Or you can say you are full with emptiness. When you achieve that state, it is called achieving Nirvana or Moksha. Which means being truly liberated.”

Kai heard a couple of wows from the class.

“An Arhat is an individual who has reached that state. Meaning he has achieved Nirvana”

There were a few nods.

“In traditional Sanskrit text, Jivaka was a part of sixteen such Arhats who were entrusted with the task of protecting the Buddha’s teachings until the arising of Maitreya, the next Buddha.”

“The next Buddha?” a student asked.

Kai nodded. “Traditional Buddhists believe that in the future, a person following the true path of Buddhism will appear on earth. He will teach pure _dharma_ to the people. He will be the successor of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism”

It was evident that the class was in awe.

“Do you know the most fascinating part?” Kai asked and he could already see his students wanting to know more.

“In some Buddhist texts, Jivaka is still believed to be alive”

“No way” a boy yelled.

Kai smiled once more. “He is believed to be living on the peaks of Mt. Gandhamadana on Pamban Island between India and Sri Lanka”

After a few reactions from his class, Kai continued after changing the slide once more.

“A document from the 2nd century AD describes someone called ‘The Ancient Healer’” he said. “It is believed that he was following the footsteps of Jivaka, looking to achieve Nirvana in the peaks of Mt. Gandhamadana when he came across him”

“That’s just bull professor” a student yelled. Kai looked at him and recognized it was a student called Ethan. The boy was always looking for trouble and was always there to refute Kai’s lectures, challenging him and calling everything crap.

“There is no way the dude found the old man after all those centuries”

Kai took a deep breath. Ethan always got on his nerves.

“There’s documentations for everything” Kai said in a calm voice.

“Well I don’t believe it” Ethan answered.

“You don’t have to believe anything Ethan. You just need to know enough to pass the exam”

A few students laughed and that shut Ethan up

“Anyway” Kai continued. “No one really knows the name of the Ancient Healer. No one knows where he came from. All that is written is that when Jivaka came across him, he could feel that the Ancient Healer was far superior to him in all aspects. And yet, like a humble student, the Ancient Healer surrendered his knowledge in front of Jivaka, asking him to teach him what Jivaka knew”

The attention that had been disrupted because of Ethan was back on Kai again.

“Jivaka first refused but the Ancient Healer was very persuasive. It is believed that when Jivaka was done teaching him, he gave his position as the Arhat to the Ancient Healer and finally died.”

“So he is not alive in that mountain anymore?”

Kai shook his head. “According to some scriptures, it is now the Ancient Healer who resides on his place”

The entire class roared upon hearing Kai.

“And the craziest part is…”

“There’s more?” a student asked, interrupting Kai and the class laughed once again.

“Some scholars have even gone on to say that the Ancient Healer isn’t from earth”

“So he is like what?” a girl asked. “An alien?”

“Do you believe in aliens?” Kai asked amusingly.

The girl shrugged.

Kai shrugged too, imitating her. “Could be an alien. Who’s to know?”

“Just stick to facts professor” Ethan interjected again. “If you want to talk fiction, teach literature instead of History”

“What do you have against aliens now, Ethan?”

“I have a problem with you teaching us bullshit. Saying things like a man has been alive on a mountain for almost 2000 years now? Don’t feed us your supernatural crap”

Kai looked at Ethan and felt the anger rising inside of his own self. He hated college students. The uncouth brats thought they knew everything and had no respect for anyone.

“Control your tongue Ethan” Kai said, as calmly as he could. “Or do you want to take it up with the dean?”

“Whatever” Ethan said and picked his bag up, walking out of the class.

Kai watched him leave and turned to his class again.

“Page 279 of your books please”

The lecture went on like it was supposed to and no one remembered Ethan after a few minutes. No one except Kai.

Once Baekhyun, Suho and Kyungsoo were out of the house to buy groceries, Sehun turned to Chanyeol.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

Chanyeol did not say a word. Instead he just pulled his t-shirt over his head. Slowly he peeled the bandages off, revealing to Sehun the rawness of the injury. Sehun stared at the white cotton dabs that had turned completely black.

“I healed you” Sehun said in shock. “How did this happen? And why is your blood black?”

“Must be because I got bitten in purgatory. It was fine in the morning until…”

“Until what?”

“Until I treated Baekhyun’s wound”

Sehun shook his head. “I told you not to use your powers, didn’t I?”

“He was hurt Sehun. No medicine from this place could heal him”

“Well you should have told me to do it”

Chanyeol did not answer. He did not even know why he had taken the risk to try and heal Baekhyun when he was clearly instructed by Sehun to not use his powers until he was completely healed.

Sehun got up and stood behind Chanyeol.

“I’ll heal them now but promise me you won’t repeat this mistake again”

Chanyeol nodded and an agreement was formed.

Sehun placed his hand on Chanyeol’s shoulder, trying to heal it. A burst of immeasurable energy released from his hand and Chanyeol winced in pain as his skin burned.

Removing his hand Sehun tried to inspect if he had completely healed Chanyeol when suddenly the wound gaped again, going back to its original form and oozing black blood.

Sehun took a step back, looking at the lesion in shock.

“What?” Chanyeol asked, turning to look at Sehun.

“Wait” Sehun said and began tending to the injury in Chanyeol’s upper arm. Repeating the same process, Sehun removed his hand to see the healing but just like the wound on the shoulder, the one on Chanyeol’s arms burst open again too.

“Chanyeol” Sehun said with worry in his voice and fear in his eyes. “You’re not healing”

Chanyeol closed his eyes. For some reason he had anticipated that. Leviathans were very strong creatures. There was a reason they had been locked in purgatory with no door to escape. Chanyeol, even as the Devil was a mere prey to them.

“We need to get you back to Hell as soon as possible” Sehun said and Chanyeol noted the urgency he was displaying. He too knew he needed to go back as soon as possible but none of them had found a way to send him back.

“For now I just need to get out of here. Baekhyun cannot see me like this”

Sehun nodded. “I’ll get you fresh bandage. We’ll leave as soon as they’re back”

“No” Chanyeol said. “We need to leave now. Before Baekhyun comes back”

Sehun did not move. “I am not doing that”

Chanyeol looked at him with confusion. “Are you defying my orders?”

Sehun exhaled a deep breath. “You don’t know what he went through when you disappeared. It looked like the boy had lost everything. You vanished and suddenly Baekhyun’s life stopped. I won’t let you do this to him again”

Chanyeol noticed that Sehun was serious. “Look at you going soft on a human” Chanyeol mocked with a smirk.

“Not just a human. Baekhyun. He is different”

“I know” Chanyeol said and then he narrated the events from purgatory. Everything from trying to escape to Nyx to Baekhyun killing them.

“Why did you kill that creature Spiros?”

“What?” Chanyeol asked. Chanyeol was expecting questions related to what happened to Baekhyun in purgatory. What he had suddenly become. How did he have such immeasurable power. But this question that Sehun asked was not what he was expecting.

“Nyx came after you because you killed Spiros. You could have easily left with Baekhyun if you hadn’t killed him. Why did you?”

Chanyeol thought about it for a moment. He remembered being angry when he was killing Spiros. He remembered feeling a surge of uncontrollable rage inside of him. And he remembered how Spiros had pushed Baekhyun to kneel, hurting him.

But he did not say any of those words.

“It was because of Baekhyun, wasn’t it?” Sehun asked and Chanyeol found himself being caught a little off guard.

“No” he said.

“Yes it was. Baekhyun told me how he busted his knee. It was Spiros who did that right?”

Chanyeol’s silence was all the confirmation Sehun needed.

“Can I ask you something else?”

“What?” Chanyeol asked.

“Why didn’t you come back?”

“What do you mean?”

“Why didn’t you come back from purgatory? Even though you told Baekhyun that you couldn’t, I know the truth. Why did you continue living there?”

Chanyeol sighed. There really was nothing that could remain hidden from Sehun.

“Because Baekhyun wanted me gone.” Chanyeol finally said. “I didn’t want to come back where I wasn’t wanted. Same reason I haven’t stepped into heaven since I was cast out”

“You fool” Sehun said and Chanyeol raised an eyebrow.

Shaking his head Sehun headed upstairs. “I am going to get fresh bandages. Then we wait for Baekhyun to come back. Then we leave” he called back.

Suho was making his Double Heart Attack Burgers. For some reason, Baekhyun had asked him to and this was the first humanlike behavior Baekhyun had shown in over 6 months. Suho just couldn’t refuse.

The entire house was filled with the smell of butter and grill.

Sehun was helping Suho in the kitchen and Kyungsoo was in the living room watching news. Chanyeol had decided to take a stroll out in the backyard while Baekhyun was up in his room returning a few work related emails.

“Once the patty is medium grilled, place a cheese slice on it and cover the whole thing” Suho instructed and Sehun nodded.

“I need a favour” Sehun softly said, making sure no one else heard.

“What favour?” Kyungsoo’s voice was suddenly just behind the two of them.

Sehun jumped for a second and took a deep breath.

“For fuck sake Kyungsoo how sharp are your ears?”

“Very” Kyungsoo replied. “What favour?”

“I’ll tell you. But first you have to promise me you won’t tell Baekhyun about it”

Both Kyungsoo and Suho shook their heads.

“The favor first and then we decide if it is worth promising over” Suho said.

Sehun knew there would be no way out of this and right now there was nothing else he could do.

“I need a place for Chanyeol to stay”

“What is wrong with this place?” Kyungsoo raised his hand and took a swirl.

Sehun did not know if he should tell them what was going on with Chanyeol. But these were Baekhyun’s friends. If Baekhyun trusted them, so would Sehun.

“Chanyeol’s wounds from the purgatory are not healing.”

“Oh my god” Suho said and Sehun scowled at the mention of the name.

“Didn’t you heal him last night?” Kyungsoo asked.

Sehun nodded. “But he used his powers on Baekhyun’s knee this morning and since then his wound hasn’t healed”

“Maybe it just needs time” Suho said.

“No. Everything in purgatory is like a disease. An infestation. It won’t heal like that”

“Why do you want him out of here? Isn’t living here better than anywhere else?” Kyungsoo asked.

Sehun shook his head. “If something happens to Chanyeol, Baekhyun will not be able to take it. He had it worst when Chanyeol disappeared. Baekhyun will only end up blaming himself again if something goes wrong”

“What exactly are you planning?” Suho asked.

Sehun hesitated for a minute. This was a big favour to ask.

“I was hoping Chanyeol could stay at your place till I figure out how to heal him” Sehun began. “…or”

“Or what?” Kyungsoo asked.

“Or find a way to take him back to hell”

“Shit” Kyungsoo said. “This is bad. This whole situation is so fucking bad”

Chanyeol was standing by the fence in the backyard, admiring whatever his eyes saw. He looked up at the sky and inhaled deeply. Fresh air. It felt good inside of him. The air was not damp and stale like it was in purgatory. And it was not night all the time.

Everything was beautiful on earth and it was the first time Chanyeol had come to appreciate the place.

He turned around, facing the house when his eyes traveled to the window on Baekhyun’s room. And Chanyeol found Baekhyun comfortably resting on the window seat, his head against the transparent glass. He had his reading glasses on and his hair was shuffled, not neatly set like it usually was.

Baekhyun was a magnificent sight to look at.

Just then, Baekhyun took his eyes off the laptop screen and licked his lips.

Chanyeol was reminded of the kiss they had shared in purgatory. The kiss that had left him with many questions burning inside of him.

Baekhyun ran his hand through his hair and turned his head to look out the window for a second.

And then their eyes locked.

Chanyeol did not turn away, neither did Baekhyun. They stared at each other like there were words floating between them. Words neither of them knew how to turn into a language they understood.

“The burgers are ready” Suho announced in a loud voice.

Chanyeol blinked and just like that, took his eyes away from Baekhyun and went inside.

Baekhyun headed downstairs, his mind full with Chanyeol and the look he had seen in Chanyeol’s eyes that seemed distant and unfamiliar. The way he looked at Baekhyun was different from all the other times. Baekhyun did not understand what it was. He had never been look at like that before.

There was pain and sorrow and deep wounds in that look. But there was something else too. For some unknown reason, it reminded him of his mother just before she had died. She too had the same pain and hurt in her eyes that Chanyeol did. She had that look because she knew she was leaving Baekhyun behind. But why did Chanyeol have the same eyes that his mother carried?

Just as Baekhyun stepped into the living room, the doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it” Baekhyun said, walking towards the door.

“Anne” Baekhyun announced. “What are you doing here?”

Baekhyun’s secretary stood there with a smile on her face and a bottle of red wine in her hand.

“Kyungsoo said Suho’s making Double Heart Attack Burgers. Couldn’t resist”

“Come on in Anne” Suho said from the kitchen. “I’ve made one without jalapenos for you”

Baekhyun laughed. When was the last time his house had been this lively?

Baekhyun’s dinner table was beginning to fall short of space so they decided to eat on the table in the patio.

“This brings back memories” Suho announced as they sat around the table.

Chanyeol smiled at Suho.

Kyungsoo, Sehun and Baekhyun were inside, getting everything ready to be served outside.

“Good to see you back Chanyeol” Anne said with a wink.

Chanyeol returned the favor. He had always like Anne. When he used to be at PreCorYun while Baekhyun was busy with work, Anne kept him company.

“I hope you’re back for good this time” she said.

Sehun came out first with all the cutlery.

“Anne have you met Sehun?” Suho asked and Anne shook her head.

Turning his eyes away from the table, Sehun stretched his hand out towards Anne.

“Hi Sehun” Anne said, taking his hand.

Sehun blinked. And then he stared at her for a moment.

“Smitten already?” Baekhyun asked as he surfaced with all the wine bottles and glasses.

Sehun did not turn his eyes away. “Have… have we met before?” he asked.

Anne pursed her lips and shrugged. “Have we?”

He blinked again and let her hand go. “I am sorry I guess I was mistaken for a second”

“It happens” she said with an empathetic smile and faced Baekhyun. “Wine? Really? This early in the morning?”

Baekhyun checked his watch. “It was you who brought the wine and it’s 11. Plus we all have the entire day off so it doesn’t really matter”

Suho felt a surge of happiness when he saw Baekhyun like that. He looked alive and carefree. Until a few days ago, it seems like the weight of the past 6 months would never stop crushing Baekhyun. But Chanyeol was back. And Baekhyun was happy again.

Realising that he had been staring, Suho turned his eyes away and for a split second his eyes fell on Sehun. It was only then that he realized that Sehun had been staring at Anne for quite some time. Suho did not know why but he felt a little irritate by that.

“Are you guys ready for the best thing in the universe?” Kyungsoo asked as he walked outside with a huge tray loaded with 6 highrise burgers in his hand.

“Whoa” both Chanyeol and Sehun exclaimed when they saw it. Each burger was freakishly tall. The gooey melting cheese covered each patty and the bun was dripping with butter.

Kyungsoo passed them each one, making sure to give Anne the one with no jalapenos.

“There’s more for the two of you” Suho said, looking at Sehun and Chanyeol, but mainly at Sehun.

“How do we eat it?” Sehun asked, looking at the monstrous thing in front of him.

“Anyway you can” Kyungsoo said with a laugh and soon the whole table rang with laughter.

All six of them just sat there. They talked about everything and nothing as wine poured more and more. Chanyeol asked for 5 more serves of the burger while Sehun was done with 3 and the rest could not eat more than 1.

Baekhyun was so happy to see Chanyeol eat that he would have probably ordered every dish from every restaurant in the city to keep him fed.

“I feel dead” Kyungsoo announced as he laid on the grass with his hand on his stomach.

“I thing I hate burgers the most in the world” Baekhyun said, lying right next to Kyungsoo in the same position.

“I think I lost motor function” Suho announced who was sprawled out on the wooden patio floor.

Anne had gone inside to use the washroom and Sehun and Chanyeol were the only one sitting around the table.

“Oi Chanyeol” Kyungsoo said. “How the fuck did you eat 6 burgers man? Don’t you worry you’ll get a heart attack?”

“He doesn’t have a heart, remember?” Suho said.

It was evident that they were drunk.

“Sucks man” Kyungsoo said. “How will you fall in love if you don’t have a heart?”

Suddenly Kyungsoo got up and walked over to where Chanyeol was sitting. He placed both his hands on his cheeks and squeezed them, making Chanyeol pout. Sehun laughed at this.

“I really like you man. You’re a good person” he said. “No wait. You’re not a person. You’re a good Devil”

And then he let Chanyeol’s cheeks go. Scratching his head he looked at Sehun confusingly. “Is there something called a good Devil?” he asked. And then he squeezed Chanyeol’s cheeks again. “Doesn’t matter. You’re a good Devil and that’s all that counts. So as I was saying…”

Then Kyungsoo paused. “What was I saying?”

“That he doesn’t have a heart” Suho replied.

“Right” Kyungsoo continued. “I didn’t like you at first but then I didn’t like you a lot. But then I really hated you. Remember when I tried to kill you?” he whispered with a laugh.

“Anyway” he continued. “So after I tried to kill you I really liked you. I mean not like _liked_ you, I mean like one human likes another human. Oh shit…” he said. “You’re not a human. I am sorry you’re not a human Chanyeol”

Kyungsoo genuinely looked sad when he said that. “It’s okay Kyungsoo. I don’t mind not being human” Chanyeol managed to say through the pout.

“See that’s what I mean when I say you’re a good Devil. What kind of evil fuck is so polite eh?”

Chanyeol wanted to laugh but his face was being held captive by Kyungsoo.

“To conclude with” Kyungsoo said. “Therefore to sum up”

“Are you writing an essay on Chanyeol’s face?” Baekhyun suddenly asked. He was looking at the two of them with squinting eyes.

Kyungsoo didn’t pay attention to Baekhyun. He jerked Chanyeol’s head lightly to divert his attention back which had shifted to Baekhyun for a second. 

“In conclusion” he went on, “just grow a heart man. So that you can fall in love too”

Chanyeol blinked at Kyungsoo. He nodded slightly as if him agreeing to it would actually make him grow a heart.

But Kyungsoo seemed satisfied with the answer.

“What did I miss?” Anne asked, surfacing back.

“Kyungsoo is in love with Chanyeol and wants him to love him back” Suho said with a laugh.

“Oh we’re going to need more wine then” Anne said with a smile before she joined the rest.

After drinking for a couple more hours, Kyungsoo and Suho passed out in the backyard. Anne decided to take the guest bedroom and sleep off all the booze, Sehun and Chanyeol were discussing plans on leaving and Baekhyun was in his room, a little sobered up.

“You need to tell him Chanyeol” Sehun said. “You can’t just vanish without a word”

Chanyeol knew that Sehun was right. He just didn’t know the words that he could use to tell Baekhyun of his departure. Chanyeol tried to think that maybe it was not a big deal. That he was only going to Suho’s place. They were practically still in the same city. But he knew if he went to Suho’s place and if Sehun couldn’t find a way to heal him or send him back to hell, Chanyeol’s condition would only get worse. And he wouldn’t let Baekhyun see him like that.

Maybe this _was_ the final goodbye.

With this thought in his mind, Chanyeol rushed inside the house and into Baekhyun’s room.

When Chanyeol opened the door, Baekhyun was lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling with his hands behind his head.

“Thinking much?” Chanyeol asked as he walked in and closed the door behind him.

“Chanyeol” Baekhyun said. This was the first time Chanyeol had spoken to him since the morning.

“Do you want something? Should I order more food? Do you need more wine?” he asked sitting up on his bed.

Chanyeol shook his head. He stood against the door with his hand still on the doorknob. He softly rested his head on the door, keeping his eyes on Baekhyun.

Baekhyun noticed that there was hurt and pain in his eyes still.

“Is your leg okay?” Chanyeol asked, making small conversation.

Baekhyun smiled. Chanyeol loved that smile. He had missed that smile.

Getting up from the bed Baekhyun walked a few paces and stood not too far from Chanyeol.

“My leg’s more than okay”

Chanyeol felt a pain in his chest on seeing Baekhyun smile like that. He knew he was about to murder that smile. It didn’t make sense to him how this strange pain had surfaced between his ribs, in his heart, when he wasn’t supposed to have a heart. How was it in such unbearable agony then?

“You okay?” Baekhyun asked. “Does your wound still hurt?”

Chanyeol shook his head again and smiled at Baekhyun.

It was the saddest smile Baekhyun had ever seen.

Chanyeol finally pushed himself forward and walked to where Baekhyun was standing.

Pulling Baekhyun closer, Chanyeol held Baekhyun’s face in his hand; fingers lightly resting on his nape and his thumb caressing the sides of Baekhyun’s face.

Closing his eyes, Baekhyun let the feeling linger for a while. Chanyeol felt warm, his embrace felt warm.

Reaching down, Chanyeol pressed his lips on Baekhyun’s forehead, letting himself stay there for a while.

Baekhyun breathed. This was the most intimate thing anyone had ever done to him. There was nothing powerful or sexual about the way Chanyeol’s lips were touching his temple, and yet Baekhyun felt like he had never been more aware of Chanyeol’s touches than he was now.

Chanyeol then wrapped his arms around Baekhyun, letting his face rest on Chanyeol’s chest.

Baekhyun’s eyes were still closed. He was breathing in all of Chanyeol in that moment.

“I have to leave Baekhyun.” He said and Baekhyun opened his eyes. “I don’t think I can ever forgive you for what you did to me”

When Baekhyun came back to his sense, Chanyeol was not there anymore. It was just him, standing where Chanyeol had left him, where he had said his goodbye. And even though hours had passed since then, Baekhyun hadn’t moved.


	11. Chapter 11

**_I was broken when you found me_ **   
**_My corners were like daggers_ **   
**_You found me and fixed my broken pieces_ **   
**_With your own sharp corners_ **   
**_That mellowed us out._ **

The next morning was in its most sufficiency, pleasant. Suho had given Sehun a free access to his home for him and Chanyeol to stay there. Anne had had left soon after Sehun and Chanyeol did and Suho and Kyungsoo had spent the night at Baekhyun’s.

“Give him some space” Chanyeol had told them before leaving and so they did.

Baekhyun was in his room all night, undisturbed but it was close to 10 in the morning and both his best friends knew Baekhyun was never late for work.

They mutually decided to go check on him.

The moment they were about to walk upstairs, they heard someone on the front door.

Both eyes turned to the right as they saw Kai entering the house.

“Baekhyun” he yelled as he stepped in. “I’m here”

Kai walked up foyer and in to the living room.

“Oh hey guys” he said with a smile.

Kyungsoo and Suho waved at him. They still did not like Kai very much.

“Is Baekhyun ready?” Kai asked.

“For what?” Kyungsoo asked back.

Kai was about to answer when Baekhyun suddenly came running down.

“Hi babe” Baekhyun said with a smile as he jumped the last few steps and rushed over to Kai.

Holding his face in both his hands, Baekhyun kissed the breath out of his fiancé.

“Wow” Kai breathed. “You’re in a good mood” he smiled.

Suho and Kyungsoo looked at Baekhyun in absolute shock. What was happening?

“Ready?” he asked, completely ignoring that Suho and Kyungsoo were there too.

“Baekhyun” Kyungsoo said and finally Baekhyun turned his eyes from Kai to look at the two of them.

Something in the expressions of their faces told Baekhyun that they needed to talk.

“Babe I’ll see you out in a minute” he said to Kai and the latter waved his goodbyes to Baekhyun’s friends and walked out.

“What is wrong with you?” Suho asked when Kai was gone. “And don’t say nothing because we know this is an act”

“But it’s not” Baekhyun said calmly. “It really is not an act”

“Don’t bullshit with us Baek I think we know you more than you give us credit for” Kyungsoo retorted.

Baekhyun sighed and placed a hand on Kyungsoo’s shoulder. “You’re over-thinking this” he said and then looked at Suho. “You both are”

“Uh hu Baek. I am not letting you leave until you explain to us what is going on?” Kyungsoo said in a serious tone.

“Explain what exactly?”

“This.” Kyungsoo said, waving his hand at Baekhyun and the front door. “You. The chirpiness. The spontaneous display of love for Kai”

Baekhyun laughed. “So now you have a problem with me being happy?”

“That’s now what I…”

“I know” Baekhyun cut him short. “I am sorry that came out wrong. I am truly fine Kyungsoo. I am happy for the first time in 6 months”

Suho didn’t seem satisfied with the answer. “Chanyeol’s gone. Chanyeol for whom you went to purgatory and back. And you expect me to believe you’re fine with him leaving?”

Baekhyun looked at Suho directly in his eyes and smiled.

“Suho” he began. “The past 6 months haunted me because it was I who sent him there. It was nothing but guilt. Now that he is back, I do not have anything hanging over my head anymore. There is no guilt. What he does after he returns is his choice. It has nothing to do with me.”

“You didn’t leave your room once after Chanyeol left”

Baekhyun shook his head. “I was mostly sleepy because I was drunk” he shrugged.

“Are you saying that all this, this new and happy you, has nothing to do with acting out just coz Chanyeol’s gone?”

Baekhyun shook his head. “It really is about me, not him. I was suffering because of my actions and I needed to amend them. I got him back because I sent him there. That’s all. I have nothing haunting me anymore. There’s nothing that’s keeping me from being happy. That’s what you want too right? For me to be happy?”

“Yes but…”

“Then relax Suho. Kai makes me happy. And it wouldn’t break your bones to be a little nice to him you know?” he said mockingly. “He is, after all my fiancé”

Kai honked from outside and Baekhyun turned his head hurriedly.

“Gotta go” Baekhyun announced and rushed out the door before either could say anything.

“I don’t like this” Kyungsoo said after Baekhyun was gone.

“I don’t either” Suho replied.

“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” Kai asked from the passenger’s seat.

“You’ll see” Baekhyun laughed. “A surprise means not giving out the details”

Kai sighed. “At least let’s stop at a convenience store. I am starving”

“You really don’t want to eat anything Kai”

“But I am hungry”

“I’ll let you eat whatever you want when we reach”

Kai looked out the car window, a little sulky. “You’ve been driving for over 2 hours now. When are we going to reach?”

“Just now” Baekhyun said as he took a sharp right turn and suddenly they were driving up a deserted road somewhere near the highway.

As Baekhyun sped forward, Kai noticed they had suddenly started driving towards the woods and not too late after that, his eyes fell on a small board with the words “Whistling Woods Inn”

“Oh my god Baek” Kai almost jumped from his seat. “Are you serious?”

Baekhyun smiled at him. “I knew you’d like it” he said with a beam.

“Like it? I love it” Kai breathed. “I have wanted to come here since it opened last year. But it is invite only. How did you even get us in?”

Baekhyun couldn’t stop himself from smiling. Kai’s excitement was electric. “The owner’s kid is a big fan of Witch’s Hunt. They sent invitations last week”

“I think dating you is the best decision I ever made in my life” Kai said, planting a kiss on Baekhyun’s cheeks. “I am so excited” he said as Baekhyun parked the car with a brightening smile.

“How is he doing?” Suho asked when he reached home. Chanyeol was settled in the spare bedroom in Suho’s apartment.

Chanyeol seemed to be sleeping so Sehun walked out of the room to talk to Suho.

“Not good” Sehun replied, closing the door behind him. “He is weak and his wound is infected.”

“Do you think any medicine from here would help?”

Sehun shook his head.

“So what do we do then?” Suho asked.

“I am trying to find ways to heal him but nothing has come up so far”

Suho could see that Sehun was not only worried but also fearful of what might happen to Chanyeol.

“How’s Baekhyun’s?” Sehun asked.

Suho pursed his lips. “He’s…” he began, shrugging passively. “He’s weird”

“How do you mean?”

“Well he was all smiling and bouncy and happy to see Kai”

“Oh” Sehun said. Even he thought this was something odd.

“Yeah. He apparently went on a 4 day trip into the woods with him”

Sehun nodded curtly. He did not even know what to say. He had expected Baekhyun to react in a very different manner.

“Well I am glad he is happy” Sehun finally answered.

Suho was quiet for a moment.

“Shouldn’t we tell him about Chanyeol?”

Shaking his head Sehun proceeded to the kitchen to make them coffee with Suho following behind.

“I don’t think so.” Sehun said, taking two mugs out of the cabinet. “By the sound of it Baekhyun seems happy with Kai. I really don’t want him to be bothered by this again”

“I don’t really think he is happy though” Suho retorted as he sat down on the chair behind the kitchen counter. “I think he is in denial and is acting out”

“In denial of what?”

Suho shrugged again. “I don’t know. His feelings for Chanyeol maybe?”

This made Sehun smile and god did Suho dig his smile.

“You think Baekhyun has feelings for Chanyeol?” Sehun asked, holding on to that little curve at the end of his lips as he turned around to press the button on the coffee machine that made low grinding sound before fresh coffee began pouring into the mug Sehun had placed there. He was still smiling but Suho did not witness that as Sehun had his back turned towards him.

“Don’t you?” Suho asked, leaning on the chair he was sitting on. “Baekhyun was a train-wreck when Chanyeol vanished. He literally went to purgatory to get him back and now he’s acting like he doesn’t care? I don’t buy it. I know there is something between the two of them”

Sehun drew a long breath. “Chanyeol is the Devil Suho. I don’t think it’s wise for any human to have feelings for him.”

“What about you?” Suho suddenly asked.

“What about me what?”

“What if a human has feelings for you?”

Sehun swirled softly with the two mugs in his hand and halted. Suho’s eyes were firmly set on him.

He slowly walked over and handed Suho his coffee as he stood leaning against the counter. Their proximity was close, except for the counter that stood between them.

“That’s not wise either” Sehun said softly and Suho finally took his eyes off him.

Slowly drawing his mug to his lips, Suho took a sip, reminding himself that whatever he was thinking in that moment was wrong.

He was still lost in thoughts when a sudden movement made him breathless for a second.

A pleasant bolt of shock ran down Suho’s spine when suddenly, Sehun’s thumb grazed over his lips. He immediately jerked back.

“What… what are you doing?” Suho asked.

Sehun retracted his hand and sucked the thumb that had just now traced over Suho’s lips.

“You had a coffee mustache” he said with a smile again.

Suho simply placed his barely touched coffee on the table and got off the chair, walking away from Sehun and straight into his room, leaving a very confusing Sehun all by himself in the kitchen.

Baekhyun had no recollection of where the first 3 days of his 4-day vacation went. All he could remember was waking up with severe hangover, which he often cured by drinking more. He remembered laughing and having fun with Kai and he remembered how sad he felt when he was not drunk so he drank more.

It was only on the 4th day that Kai confronted him.

Baekhyun was sitting out on the balcony with a glass of mimosa and a newspaper while Kai sat in the living room, observing him.

“Baekhyun, what is up with you?”

“Huh?” Baekhyun did not even look up from the newspaper he was reading.

Kai got up and walked over to the balcony and took the seat opposite to him.

“You’re drinking more than you usually do”

Baekhyun shrugged as he took a sip from the glass. “I am just having fun”

“Do you even remember last night?”

Baekhyun noticed the gravity in Kai’s words. “Partially”

Kai shook his head as he turned his eyes away from Baekhyun and into the vast expanse of the estate that overlooked the sea. “You were screaming Chanyeol’s name after you got drunk”

Baekhyun’s breath hitched. He had tried so hard to forget that name in the past 3 days. He had wished relentlessly that each drop of liquid he poured in himself, would wash Chanyeol’s traces away.

“I don’t remember that”

Kai jaw line tightened in anger. “How long will this continue Baek?” Kai asked. “How long should I wait for you?”

“I am here with you instead of him, aren’t I?” Baekhyun asked back. It was too early in the morning for an argument.

“Do you have a choice?” Kai asked. “It’s not like Chanyeol’s here for you to be able to be with him”

Baekhyun froze. He hadn’t told Kai about Chanyeol’s return. Was it too late to tell him that?

It seemed like Kai read Baekhyun’s expressions.

“He…” Kai’s voice was low and grave. “He’s back, isn’t he?”

“Yes” Baekhyun answered immediately.

The fact that he wasn’t saying anything else agitated Kai even further.

“When did he return?”

“Two nights before we came here”

Kai scoffed. “So this trip wasn’t about us, it has been about him all along?”

“Don’t be ridiculous Kai” Baekhyun defended, even though he didn’t know why he was being so defensive.

“Ridiculous? Baekhyun you have been drinking for 3 days straight. You haven’t been sober for 1 minute since we’ve been here. Last night you were crying his name out and I am being ridiculous?”

Baekhyun was at loss of words. He was trying so hard to deny everything Kai was saying. He had tried to push his feeling down so damn much that it was now leaking through his thoughts. Baekhyun felt lost.

“What do you want me to say?” Baekhyun asked. “Chanyeol is back and I am here with you, not him. I don’t care about Chanyeol; I don’t even know where he is anymore”

“Damnit Baekhyun” Kai yelled as he banged his fist on the coffee table. “You say you don’t care about him and you call his name out when you’re most vulnerable. You say you don’t know where he is but his thoughts never leave your mind. What am I supposed to be in your life when you place him above me?”

Those words did something to Baekhyun. They hit him hard. Baekhyun suddenly realized how disgusting his own behavior had been towards Kai.

“When Chanyeol left…” Kai began, “I was there to collect the pieces. I was the only who tried to fix you. I have been by your side despite the fact that you never told me anything.”

Baekhyun shook his head. He was beginning to disappoint himself more and more with every word Kai spoke.

“You did not tell me where Chanyeol went all those months ago, and you didn’t tell me that he’s back. Don’t you think I deserve answers too?”

Closing his eyes, Baekhyun took a deep breath. Kai was right. They were engaged. Soon they’d be married and Baekhyun knew it was wrong to hide something of this importance from one’s own partner.

“I am sorry” Baekhyun said softly. He looked Kai straight in the eyes and apologized again. “I am so sorry Kai”

“I don’t need you to be sorry Baek, I need you to tell me the truth”

Baekhyun knew this was a very risky path he was walking into.

“What do you want to know?” Baekhyun asked anyway.

Kai leaned back on the chair, more comfortably than before.

“Where did Chanyeol go all those months ago?”

The question took Baekhyun by surprise. He was expecting Kai to ask about their own relationship and what his feelings for Chanyeol were or how close they were to each other but this question was not related to Baekhyun or their relationship. This question was entirely about Chanyeol.

“I don’t know” Baekhyun replied. “He never told me before he left, he never told me after he came back”

“You didn’t ask?”

Baekhyun was beginning to wonder what Kai was after. So he decided to play along.

“I did. All he said was that it was a very bad place”

Kai nodded. Nothing Baekhyun had said so far was even close to confirming his suspicions of Chanyeol being the Devil. Even though Kai was almost certainly sure, there was a part of him that told him that he could be mistaken. And the only way he could get his answers were directly from Baekhyun who had somehow managed to summon the Devil from Hell.

“What about you?” Kai asked. “Are you doing fine?”

Baekhyun looked at him in doubt. Those words were supposed to carry concern in them, were supposed to make him feel loved. But instead, they felt like they had been stemmed out of curiosity.

“I am fine Kai”

“Are you sure? There has been nothing odd about you lately, has there?”

For a moment, Baekhyun’s mind recalled the events from purgatory when he had suddenly become someone else and killed all those creatures. The memory made him uncomfortable. He downed the entire glass of mimosa in one go and set the glass on the table.

“What are you getting at Kai?” Baekhyun asked defensively.

Kai suddenly seemed nervous by Baekhyun’s question. “No…” he began. “I… I mean you have been acting weird since we got here so I was just wondering if there is anything more, anything I don’t know perhaps”

Baekhyun smiled. “Is there anything that _I_ don’t know?” he asked. “Perhaps something _you’ve_ not been telling me?”

Kai started fidgeting with his fingers. “Wh… what do you mean?”

Baekhyun got the cue he was looking for. So far he’d had only a very mild suspicion that Kai was hiding something but his nervous behavior was just the tell Baekhyun was looking for. Everything Kai had said so far was not because he was threatened by or jealous of Chanyeol. He was trying to guilt trip Baekhyun into saying things he would have never otherwise told him. And he had never expected Baekhyun to ask questions back because over the past 6 months, the guilt tripping had worked pretty well for him.

“Nothing” Baekhyun said, getting up and heading inside. “I am kidding” he said. “I think we should head back”

The entire ride back was spent in silence. Kai still did not have the answers he was looking for and Baekhyun was now surer than ever that something was up with Kai. And he needed to find out what.

The first thing Baekhyun did when he reached back was call Kyungsoo.

“Did you find anything out about Kai?” Baekhyun asked.

“What?” Kyungsoo asked back. “Oh…” he replied, remembering that Baekhyun had asked him to look into Kai. “I did but there was nothing out of the ordinary about him. His parents died when he was young, probably 2, he was raised by his grandmother, who passed away too not too long ago.”

“That’s all?”

“There is something odd though, but it’s not directly about Kai” Kyungsoo said.

“What is it?”

“The first thing is, back when Kai’s parents were alive, they lived not too far from where you lived with your mother”

“That’s very… coincidental” Baekhyun said.

“Yeah but what caught my attention was the way his parents died.”

Baekhyun waited for Kyungsoo to explain.

“They were both found burned to the core while they were sleeping”

“That doesn’t make sense Kyungsoo. How can anyone sleep through being burned alive?”

“Exactly” Kyungsoo said, “But that’s not all”

“What do you mean?”

“Soon after Kai’s parents died like that, another couple in the same neighborhood was found dead in the exact manner. According to the reports I saw, their 4 year old son too had perished with them”

“That’s horrible Kyungsoo” Baekhyun said with shock in his voice.

“Baekhyun” Kyungsoo said and Baekhyun understood there was more.

“I don’t think the deaths of two couples is a coincidence”

Baekhyun found this odd. Kyungsoo was never the one to talk about conspiracies. It was usually Suho. So if this was coming from him, Baekhyun knew there was more than meets the eyes.

“So you mean someone killed them?”

“I think so, yes. Baek according to the police reports, the couples did not even move where they were being burned alive. It was like they were already dead but the post mortem reports say that they didn’t die until they were completely burned”

“And the kid?” Baekhyun asked.

“The second couple that was killed had it worse than the first. Their entire house burned down and there were no traces left. They could only identify the couple from fragments of bones that were left behind while the kid perished completely”

“Fuck Kyungsoo. That is so twisted. Who would do such a thing?”

“The police were not able to find anyone as there were no traces of evidence or foul play. Baekhyun don’t freak out but…”

“But what?”

Kyungsoo took a pause.

“The second couple lived very close to your old house”

“How close?” Baekhyun asked.

“Next door” Kyungsoo finally said. “The family consisted of a grandmother, the couple and their 4 year old kid. It was your mother who saved the old woman by dragging her out of the house in time or else she would have died too. But it was already too late by then and no one else survived”

Baekhyun sank on the chair in the living room.

The old woman, the grandmother who had fed Baekhyun when his mother worked, the woman who had left him the book of spells, she was the one who had lost her family in that night of the wretched fire.

Baekhyun did not know why but he believed he owed the old woman to find out who did this to her family; who killed everyone she cared about. Baekhyun remembered how bitter she was all the time. Who wouldn’t be after they had lost their son, daughter in law and their grandchild? The woman had lived a very difficult life and Baekhyun believed finding out who was responsible for it would give her closure, and him too.

“Soo” Baekhyun finally spoke into the phone. “We need to figure out who did this. Who killed them all!”

Kai had an evening lecture scheduled. He had taken the last 4 days off and he knew he would have to catch the students up faster than usual since the year end exams were approaching soon.

“All right kids” Kai said as he entered the class. “Settle down please. We have a lot to cover”

Once the class quieted down, Kai began his lecture.

“We left off with the topic of Ancient Healer last time and I gave you all homework to explore it more. Did you all do it?”

A few of the students nodded passively while most shook their heads.

“We couldn’t find anything about him. There is nothing documented” one of the students said.

Kai nodded. He was aware that there were no traces of the Ancient Healer left in the history books.

“Professor” one of the students raised her hand and Kai indicated her to speak.

“Last time you told us about Maitreya, the next Buddha”

“That’s right” Kai said.

“Do you think, perhaps, the Ancient Healer is the one?” the girl asked.

“That’s a good question Lily but I highly doubt it.” Kai answered. “You see Arhats were formed to protect and carry forward the teachings of Buddha. These people accepted that there was something with far superior knowledge and power in the world and they knew it was not them. So I don’t think the Ancient Healer could be Maitreya.”

“So what is he exactly? The Ancient Healer?” Lily asked.

“Some old texts say that the Ancient Healer is not a human. And by that definition, he cannot be the next Buddha.”

“Not human?” another student asked. “So when you said he might be an alien in the last class, did you mean it?”

Kai laughed. “Well the texts say that the Ancient Healer was heaven sent so if that falls under your definition of alien, sure”

“Cut the crap professor” a voice rang and Kai recognized it was Ethan’s. “And stop feeding us bullshit in the name of history lessons”

“Ethan calm down” Kai said but his words agitated Ethan even more.

“These texts you talk about, where are they? Do you have them with you?”

Kai took a long breath. “No. They’re with…”

“Do you have any proof of what you just said? That the Ancient Healer, whose existence we are not even completely sure of, the man who as you claim has been living on a stupid mountain for the past 2000 years, is even real?”

“You’ll find them…”

But Ethan cut him short again. “I’ve had enough of this bullshit professor. If you can’t stick to curriculum, it’s better if we have a new professor because we have exams in the 2 weeks and we don’t have time for your make believe fantasies”

Kai noticed suddenly that a few students from his class were nodding at what Ethan had just said. He was about to say something when like always, Ethan picked his bag up and left the classroom. But this time, he had a lingering affect on the class.

Kai immediately turned towards the rest of the students. “Let’s continue…” he said with a smile. “Shall we?”

“I’ll be gone for a couple of days” Sehun said as he and Suho stood on the rooftop of Suho’s penthouse apartment. “I’ll be in hell looking for ways to heal Chanyeol”

“He is getting worse day by day Sehun. He has become weak, he is losing blood and his body is barely managing to hold up. He hasn’t even eaten anything since we brought him here. Do you think it is a good idea for you to go?”

Sehun knew Suho was worried. But he did not know what to say. He was worried to death too.

“I won’t rest until I figure something out” Sehun said and Suho nodded at him. Sehun looked broken and lost. Like he was fighting a battle he would never win.

Suho stood with his back against the steel fence bordering the walls of the rooftop while Sehun rested his hand on the cold metal, looking out into the open night.

Suho cocked his head to the left and looked at Sehun who was letting the cold air slap his face mercilessly. Because of where he stood, Suho was protected from the wind directly hitting him and he wondered if Sehun had chosen the spot deliberately.

The night was high and the moon hidden behind the clouds.

“When will you be back?” Suho asked.

Sehun shrugged. “I am not sure”

“What if I need you?” Suho blurted out and Sehun sharply turned to look at him.

They stared at each other for a moment as the cold air between then grew warmer.

“I mean…” Suho corrected himself. “I mean what if I need you when I can’t handle Chanyeol?”

Sehun smiled and looked away.

“You can just call me” he said.

“You… you mean like Baekhyun calls you? Uh hu” Suho refuted. “I am not slicing my hand for y…”

Before Suho could complete what he was about to say, Sehun turned around and placed his hand under Suho’s chin. Before Suho could react, Sehun pressed his lips down at Suho’s, taking the latter by complete surprise.

The kiss was a peck, a very quick peck. But when Sehun drew back, Suho slid his hand behind Sehun’s neck and pulled him down, for a real kiss.

When Suho stopped, Sehun looked at him in silence.

“It’s your fault” Suho said quickly, a little embarrassed by how Sehun was staring at him. “You kissed me first”

“I…” Sehun began. “I wasn’t kissing you. I did that so you could summon me without having to slice your hand”

“Oh shit” Suho suddenly blurted out, petrified at what he had done. He had completely mistaken the signal Sehun was giving him. “Fucking hell this is so embarrassing” he said, burying his face in his hand.

Without waiting for anything, Suho immediately ran away from the rooftop and back into the apartment, hoping Sehun wouldn’t follow him back. He was mortified as it was and he didn’t want Sehun to rub it on his face.

Sehun watched Suho run away and all he could think was how Suho’s lips felt on his own. Tracing his lower lip with his thumb, Sehun absorbed the remnants of the kiss. Smiling to himself, he vanished into thin air.

Kyungsoo was never the kind of person who would let on a suspicion linger on for too long. But there was definitely something about Kai that was bothering him. No matter how much Kai tried to convince them that he was right for Baekhyun, Kyungsoo never bought it.

Kyungsoo wanted to stakeout in front of Kai’s house that night but Baekhyun had asked him to come over so Kyungsoo had decided to spend the night at Baekhyun’s.

After Baekhyun had told him everything he remembered about the old woman who was his neighbor and how it was her who had given her the books, Kyungsoo was brimming with more question.

“Why do you think she gave it to you?” Kyungsoo asked.

Baekhyun shrugged. “Probably because I reminded her of her grandson? We were of the same age, weren’t we?”

Kyungsoo nodded. The year the incident took place, Baekhyun was around 4 years old too.

“Why did she have the book of spells in the first place?” was Kyungsoo’s next question.

“I don’t know. But I need to find out. We have to go back to the house Kyungsoo”

“But Baekhyun that house was destroyed years ago. I don’t think there is anything left”

Baekhyun shook his head. “When the house was being rebuilt, the neighbors decided to keep her stuff at my mother’s place. They said that she had always treated my mother as her own daughter. Back then I didn’t pay much attention to this but I get it now”

“Okay” Kyungsoo said immediately. “We’ll go there tomorrow”

Baekhyun nodded.

“Oh fuck” Kyungsoo said when he suddenly saw the time. “It’s almost half past two. We better go to sleep if we want to get work done tomorrow”

“Yeah I am not letting you in my room, you better sleep in the spare bedroom”

Kyungsoo scowled. “You’re no fun”

Kyungsoo got up and was about to walk up the stairs when his phone rang. It was Suho.

“Hello?” Kyungsoo said. “We were just about to….”

Before Kyungsoo could finish, he was cut short.

“What?” Kyungsoo screamed into the phone. “What do you mean?”

“Suho…” Kyungsoo continued. “Suho calm down. I’ll be right there”

The moment Kyungsoo hung up, he turned to Baekhyun.

“Soo what’s wrong? Is Suho okay?”

Kyungsoo nodded. He didn’t even know what to say.

“I have to go Baek” he said.

“Wait” Baekhyun stopped him. “Tell me what’s wrong”

“I… it’s nothing” Kyungsoo tried to pass a fake smile. “Everything is fine. I just have to go”

“I am coming with you” Baekhyun said. “If something is wrong with Suho, I’m coming too”

“It’s not about Suho” Kyungsoo suddenly snapped.

Baekhyun stopped on his tracks. Whatever it was, was something huge and Baekhyun was becoming restless.

Kyungsoo realized how hard he had snapped at Baekhyun. He did not know if he should tell Baekhyun this or not but he no longer wanted to keep it a secret.

“Baekhyun sit down” Kyungsoo said. “Please”

Baekhyun did as he was told.

“I need to tell you something and I need you to remain calm. Can you do that?”

“Kyungsoo what is it? You’re scaring me. Please tell me Suho’s okay”

“It’s not about Suho” Kyungsoo said as he watched Baekhyun shaking a little out of fear. “It’s about Chanyeol”

Suddenly Baekhyun stopped. He stopped shaking, he stopped moving and he stopped breathing.

In the next few minutes, Kyungsoo explained everything that was wrong with Chanyeol, where he had been since the past 4 days and then he told Baekhyun about the phone call he had just received.

“Chanyeol’s missing” Kyungsoo said. “Suho woke up in the middle of the night to check on Chanyeol and found that his bed was empty. There are no traces of him or where he went”

Baekhyun did not react. His mind had become numb.

“Baekhyun” Kyungsoo yelled at him. “Snap out of it. We need to go and find Chanyeol”

But he did not move. It was like his body had forgotten how it was supposed to function. All he felt was a strange pain in his chest, a pain he didn’t think would ever go away.

“Baekhyun” Kyungsoo yelled again, this time shaking him. The movement brought Baekhyun back to his senses.

“You okay?” Kyungsoo asked. Baekhyun nodded, not sure if he was.

“Let’s go” he said, dragging Baekhyun by his hand.

When Kyungsoo and Baekhyun reached Suho’s apartment, they found Suho nervously walking around his living room.

“Baekhyun” Suho said when he saw his friend walking in with Kyungsoo. “Baek, I am sorry”

Baekhyun did not say anything. He simply walked into the apartment and straight into the room Chanyeol was staying in. Swiftly he closed the door behind him.

“Did you call Sehun?” Kyungsoo asked after he saw Baekhyun vanish into Chanyeol’s room.

Suho nodded. “I have been trying but it’s not working. He said he would be in hell and no matter how many times I try to summon him, he doesn’t show up”

Suho turned to look at the door Baekhyun had closed behind him.

“Do you think he’ll be okay?”

“I don’t know” Kyungsoo said. “I don’t know where his mind is anymore”

“We should try and find Chanyeol” Suho said.

“Do we even know if he is here on earth?” Kyungsoo asked.

“I don’t know Soo but I can’t keep sitting at home waiting”

Suddenly Baekhyun came out of the room and both Kyungsoo and Suho saw traces of tears in his red eyes. But neither said anything.

“Do we know where he is?” Baekhyun asked calmly. The rest shook their heads.

Baekhyun slowly walked over to the kitchen and pulled a knife. Kyungsoo and Suho knew what it was for.

Placing the sharp edge of the knife on the palm of his left hand, Baekhyun sliced it open, yelling Sehun’s name.

But nothing happened.

Baekhyun then took the knife in his left hand and sliced open his right palm.

“Sehun” he yelled but this time too, Sehun did not appear.

Baekhyun did not stop. He then made a cut on his right arm. “Sehun” he cried, but it remained unheard.

Just as he was about to make another cut on his left arm, Suho interrupted.

“Baekhyun stop” Suho yelled, “You’ll bleed out”

“I have no choice” Baekhyun said as Suho ran towards him to stop him. But before he could reach Baekhyun, the latter had already made a deep incision.

“Sehun” Baekhyun cried into the air and this time, Sehun appeared in less than a second of his name being called out.

“Baek” Sehun said as he looked at all the blood and all the cuts on Baekhyun’s hands. “Sorry I was in hell.” He then looked around. “What are you doing…”

“Chanyeol’s missing and you need to find him” Baekhyun cut him short.

“What?” Sehun exclaimed. “Missing where?”

“We don’t know.” Baekhyun said, walking over to Sehun and taking his hand in his own, bloody ones. “Please find him Sehun” were the last word Baekhyun managed to say before he passed out from all the blood he had lost.

When Baekhyun woke up, it was dawn. He looked around frantically when he remembered where he was. Baekhyun realized he was in Suho’s room and he heard faint voices coming from outside.

His eyes ran over his hands. The wounds were all healed. It was probably Sehun who had done that.

And then Baekhyun remembered why he had made all those incisions.

Running out into the living room, Baekhyun found Sehun, Suho and Kyungsoo sitting. Chanyeol was not there.

“Where is he?” Baekhyun asked hurriedly. “Did you find him?”

All three looked at Baekhyun gravely.

“Baekhyun we need to talk” Suho said. “Please sit down”

“No” Baekhyun yelled. “Tell me where Chanyeol is”

Sehun’s eyes travelled to the door on his right and Baekhyun understood.

He immediately rushed over.

When he opened the door, Baekhyun breath hitched when he saw Chanyeol sleeping on the bed.

“He is back” Baekhyun softly whispered in relief. Closing the door behind him, Baekhyun entered the room.

Chanyeol was lying on the bed, frail and weak. His cheekbones had caved in, his eyes had become hollow and his lips were chapped. He had never looked so vulnerable before and it ached Baekhyun to see him like that.

Slowly he walked over and placed himself on the bed, right next to Chanyeol.

Holding Chanyeol in his arms, he softly placed his head on Chanyeol’s chest, wanting to never let go.

“You scared the shit out of me Chanyeol” Baekhyun softly whispered.

Watching Chanyeol in his worst was not something Baekhyun would ever come to terms with. Despite the Devil that he was, Baekhyun knew Chanyeol was at his best when he was smiling and cheerful.

“I am so sorry Chanyeol” Baekhyun cried. “It’s all my fault”

Suddenly Baekhyun felt a hand brush up against his hair.

“It’s not your fault Baekhyun” Chanyeol’s weak voice reached Baekhyun’s ears.

He lifted his head up and saw that Chanyeol was awake.

There was a smile, a very faint smile on his face. But it was not strong enough to create the dent on his wonderful cheeks.

“Shh” Baekhyun said. “You need to rest”

Chanyeol smiled with more conviction now and Baekhyun realized that his entire world was wrapped up in Chanyeol’s smile.

“I missed you” Chanyeol said softly, eyes drooping with tiredness.

“I missed you too” Baekhyun said. “So much”

And it was only then that Baekhyun realized that he was not lying or trying to make Chanyeol feel better. He had indeed missed the Devil a lot. And the thought made him crazy.

“Stay here for a while” Chanyeol said and Baekhyun nodded, resting his head back on Chanyeol’s chest s the latter’s fingers entwined in his hair.

Once Chanyeol was asleep again, Baekhyun went out into the living room to continue his conversation. Now that Chanyeol was back, Baekhyun felt more settled than before. But the fact that he was not recovering, made him worried too.

“What did you want to talk to me about?” Baekhyun asked. He took a seat on the couch next to Suho.

Suho handed him the newspaper and Baekhyun looked at him in confusion.

“You want to discuss the news?” he asked.

“Just read the front page” Kyungsoo hissed and Baekhyun unfolded the newspaper.

The headlines read, “University student, 19, found dead in an abandoned lot with strange markings on his body and heart missing”

Baekhyun read the news article and then looked at Suho, Kyungsoo and Sehun with shock. “What is this?”

Suho reached out for the envelope kept on the coffee table and took something out that looked like photos. He handed them over to Baekhyun.

Baekhyun stared in horror as he saw a boy sitting on a chair, hands and feet tied with his entire body covered in blood. There was a gaping hole in his chest cavity and it looked like he was tortured. As he went from one photo to the other, he saw the details he had missed earlier. The body had incisions and marking of symbols all over his body.

“This boy…” Baekhyun began. “This is the boy from the news article, isn’t he?” he asked in shock.

Suho nodded. “His body came in for autopsy at the hospital, that’s how I got the photos”

“But why are you showing them to me?” Baekhyun asked, looking at the three of them.

“Baekhyun” Kyungsoo said. “Look at the marks clearly”

Baekhyun took the photos and saw the marks etched on the body of the boy. And suddenly he understood what Suho and Kyungsoo had meant.

Baekhyun knew those symbols. He had seen them before. In the Book of Necessities.

“Baek” Suho began. “The time of death is around 3 am”

“And?” Baekhyun asked.

“Chanyeol was missing then” Kyungsoo said.

“Are you kidding me?” Baekhyun snapped. “Are you seriously insinuating that Chanyeol had something to do with this?”

Baekhyun suddenly realized that Sehun had been quiet all along. “Sehun” Baekhyun said, turning to him. “Tell them they’re wrong”

Sehun took a deep breath and looked at Baekhyun. “Baek, when I found Chanyeol, he was covered in blood, human blood” he said in a grave tone.

Baekhyun looked at him in shock.

“He was fazed out when I found him. He doesn’t remember anything from last night” Sehun confessed.

“That…” Baekhyun said, running his hand through his hair. “That doesn’t prove anything. I know he can’t do this. I know he didn’t, okay?”

Baekhyun voice was rising with each word he spoke.

“Okay” Kyungsoo suddenly said. “We trust you Baek and if you say Chanyeol didn’t do this, we trust that too”

Just then, Suho’s phone rang. He immediately got up when he saw the number and went out into the balcony to attend it.

When he came back, he looked more worried than ever.

“What’s wrong?” Kyungsoo asked.

“The blood we found on Chanyeol, I sent a sample to get it tested and…”

“And?” Baekhyun asked desperately.

“And it matches the boy who was found dead” Suho finished with regret.

“No” Baekhyun said. “No that’s not possible”

“Baekhyun calm down” Kyungsoo said.

Suho noticed how Baekhyun was beginning to have difficulty breathing.

“Baek” Suho said, walking over to him and placing his hand on his shoulder. “We’ll get to the bottom of this, trust me, okay? All three of us will figure out what happened, alright? Calm down”

Suho’s words seemed to reach Baekhyun. He inhaled deeply and tried to control his thoughts.

“Chanyeol can’t do that Suho” Baekhyun said. “I know he can’t”

Suho nodded and hugged Baekhyun. “I know Baekhyun” he said softly. “I know”

Kyungsoo and Suho had somehow convinced Baekhyun to go back to work. He hadn’t been at PreCorYun for 4 days and if he did not distract himself with work, they knew Baekhyun would go mad.

After Baekhyun was gone, the remaining three sat in Suho’s living room.

Suho turned to Sehun. “Tell us exactly what happened”

Sehun nodded. “When I found him, Chanyeol was lying on the road not too far from that abandoned building” he said, pointing to the newspaper. “He was saying something but it was all incomprehensible. His hands and his clothes were drenched in blood so I brought him here”

“All of this is so odd” Kyungsoo said. “Do you think Chanyeol did it?” he asked Sehun point blank.

Sehun looked at him for a second and then shook his head.

“Why?” Kyungsoo asked. “He could be trying some spell to save himself”

“No” Sehun said. “These symbols and spells they don’t work for us. They do nothing for us.” He picked up the photos and started looking at them one by one. “These are performed by witches and sorcerers.”

“Wait” Sehun suddenly paused. “I…” he began, “I think I recognize the symbols”

He looked at Kyungsoo and Suho. “Can you find out more about the boy who died?”

“What do you want to know?” Kyungsoo asked. “We only know his name and where he lived”

“I want to know if he believed in god or heaven or earth or had any form of spiritual belief”

“What are you getting at?” Suho asked.

Sehun looked at them gravely. “These symbols” he said, showing the photos to Suho and Kyungsoo, “These belong to a particular spell”

“We know” Kyungsoo said. “We’ve seen these in the book that Baekhyun has”

Sehun shook his head. “That book only has half of ritual”

“What do you mean?” Suho asked.

“This spell, it was made to control the Devil, to tame him. But what the book doesn’t mention is that the spell needs nine human sacrifices in order to achieve this”

“So you mean…” Kyungsoo began, “That this boy was a human sacrifice for a spell that can tame Chanyeol?”

Sehun nodded. “He was the first of nine. That is why I need you to find out if the boy had any kind of belief”

“How does that relate to this?” Suho asked.

Sehun took a deep breath. “The first sacrifice is an infidel, the second is an adulterer, third would be an over-indulger, fourth someone with greed, then would be someone with temperamental issues…”

“Let me guess” Suho interrupted. “The rest are those who believe in heresy, are violent and commit fraud?”

“Yes” Sehun said.

“How did you know?” Kyungsoo asked Suho.

“Those are the sins of the nice circles of hell” Suho replied and Sehun nodded.

“Sacrificing a human for each one of those sins, marking them with these symbols, taking their hearts and combining it all with one spell can tame the Devil in this world.” Sehun said. “The one who makes the sacrifice can control Chanyeol and use him to destroy the world”

“Can we find out who’s doing this?” Suho asked.

“There is no way to” Sehun said. “You can either catch them in the act of somehow find the stash of hearts they’ve stored from the sacrifices”

“How do you even know all this?” Kyungsoo asked.

Sehun was quiet for a moment. But they had already gone this far. There was no reason for him to hide anything anymore.

“Because this has happened once before. Long ago when Chanyeol was last summoned on earth by a witch. A witch that had gone mad with power once she realized what Chanyeol was capable of doing”

Suho and Kyungsoo let the information sink in. Whatever this was, it was not good.

Baekhyun’s mind was not working. Even though he tried to concentrate on work, his thoughts drifted back to Chanyeol and the conversation he had about the boy who was found dead in the abandoned building.

On top of that, Chanyeol’s condition was deteriorating and even Sehun hadn’t found a way to heal him.

Baekhyun paced in his office restlessly when Anne knocked on the door.

“Baekhyun is everything okay?” she asked as she came in.

“I don’t know Anne” Baekhyun confessed. “I feel lost and I don’t know what to do about it”

Anne smiled at him and pulled him by his hand to the couch.

“Have a seat while I get you some coffee” she said as she walked out of the office.

Baekhyun nodded and settled down. Anne always knew how to calm him down and he was thankful for that.

When Anne came back, she had a cup of coffee and a stack of papers in her hand.

“What are those?” Baekhyun asked as he took the coffee from his secretary.

“Oh these?” Anne said. “Kai left in a hurry and he forgot these at the cafeteria”

Baekhyun took the papers from here. He and Kai had met up for a quick chat earlier in the morning when Kai suddenly got a phone call and had to leave.

“I’ll take them over” Baekhyun said said.

Anne smiled. “I know you’re worried about something and I know you won’t tell me what it is, but why don’t you try and divert your mind away from it for a while? Maybe it will help”

Baekhyun shook his head. “I have tried that Anne, nothing is working”

“Well why don’t you read your fiancé’s lecture notes then?” she said teasingly, pointing to the papers in Baekhyun’s hand. “Maybe that will help you find the answers you’re looking for”

Baekhyun laughed. He loved how Anne was always so positive about things. But he doubted if he would actually find anything of value in the papers in his hands.

“I’ll try” he said and Anne left with a smile.

Baekhyun spent a good amount of the next three hours obsessing over how he could help Chanyeol. Sehun had done everything he could and even then nothing seemed to work. Baekhyun was running out of patience and each time Baekhyun thought of how weak Chanyeol was getting, he wanted to scream.

He walked over to the couch and sat down in frustration. His eyes fell on the paper Anne had left him with. Baekhyun did not know why but he picked up the notes and stared at them.

“Well here goes nothing” he said as he turned the pages.

One after the other, Baekhyun read each page clearly and with full concentration. There were more than a 100 pages worth of notes and Baekhyun scanned each corner with as much focus as he could.

It took him another two hours to completely absorb the information that was written there but when he was done, he immediately got up and rushed back to Suho’s house.

Suddenly he knew what he had to do.

When Baekhyun reached Suho’s apartment, Sehun and Chanyeol were the only ones there. Suho had gone to the hospital while Kyungsoo just wanted to go home and rest for a while.

“Sehun” Baekhyun said softly, asking him to step out of Chanyeol’s room. In just a matter of a few hours, Chanyeol had become worse than what he looked before.

“What is it Baekhyun?” Sehun asked once they were back in the living room.

“I think I know how what can help Chanyeol”

Sehun pursed his lips. He had tried everything there was to try and he wasn’t sure if Baekhyun had something that was new or extraordinary.

“Okay” Sehun said instead. “Is it a medicine?”

“I don’t know yet, but I think someone can help him”

“Someone?” Sehun asked. “As in a person?”

Baekhyun shrugged. “Probably. All I know is that he is called the Ancient Healer”

Sehun almost laughed when he heard Baekhyun say that. “The Ancient Healer is a myth Baekhyun. He is not real”

Baekhyun was disappointed. “How do you know?”

“Well first because I have searched for him and second because I didn’t find him”

“Did you look for him at Mt. Gandhamadana?”

Sehun nodded in a non-committed manner. “Technically. The mountain is sacred and it is not easy for demons to go there but I found a way. I searched through there and everywhere else I could but I couldn’t find him anywhere”

“Well you said that when Chanyeol vanished too” Baekhyun snapped.

“Ouch” Sehun mocked. “That was harsh”

“I am sorry” Baekhyun said immediately. “I didn’t mean it like that. I meant that maybe I can find him like I found Chanyeol”

Sehun thought about this for a moment. “Baekhyun going to the mountain would be more difficult that purgatory. It is a sacred place and if something happens, neither I nor Chanyeol can come to your rescue. You will have no one to help you”

Baekhyun nodded. “That’s fine. Just take me there and I will do the rest myself.”

Sehun was quiet. What if Baekhyun really had it in him to find the Ancient Healer? He had done some pretty extraordinary things in the past that no normal human could have done. What if he could actually find a way to cure Chanyeol?

Sehun's mind ran back to how he had often wondered what Baekhyun was. And when he had heard what Baekhyun had done in Purgatory, the thought not only made Sehun happy, but also scared him a little.

“I can only take you to the bottom of the mountain. You will have to walk your way up”

“It’s fine Sehun. I will manage” Baekhyun assured him.

“Okay” Sehun said. “We’ll leave once your friends get back”

“What?” Baekhyun asked. “Sehun you…”

“Sorry Baekhyun but I am not letting you risk your life without your friends knowing what you plan to do”

Baekhyun closed his eyes and exhaled in frustration. “Fine” he said, giving up. “We’ll go after”

Sehun still did not understand how Baekhyun had managed to convince both Suho and Kyungsoo that going to find the Ancient Healer, alone was a good idea. But for some reason, they both seemed convinced.

Baekhyun was in Chanyeol’s room, staring at him while he slept.

He slowly walked over to where Chanyeol was and lightly bent down to leave a kiss on his forehead.

“I’ll save you Chanyeol” he said softly. “Don’t die while I am gone”

“Let’s go” Baekhyun said as he came out of the room. “We don’t have much time”

Suho rushed over to Baekhyun and hugged him. “Be careful” he said.

Baekhyun nodded and looked at Kyungsoo. He still looked mad at the thought that Baekhyun was on a mission to get himself killed but since it was his life, Kyungsoo was no one to tell him what to do.

“Soo” Baekhyun said as he walked over to him and caught him in a tight embrace.

“Let me go” Kyungsoo yelled.

Instead Baekhyun pressed his lips on Kyungsoo’s cheeks.

“Ew” Kyungsoo screamed. “You know I hate it when you do that”

“That’s why I did it” Baekhyun mocked as he loosed his grip.

“Come back alive okay?” Kyungsoo said with a scowl and Baekhyun nodded.

“Ready?” Sehun asked and Baekhyun smiled.

“How long will it take for him to be back?” Suho asked.

“If everything goes well, 10 to 12 days perhaps” Sehun replied.

“Don’t worry” Baekhyun said. “I’ll be fine”

“You better be or I’ll kill you” Kyungsoo snapped.

“Tell Kai I’m out on a business trip or something” Baekhyun said.

Suho hugged Baekhyun once more. “Stay safe”

“Take care of Chanyeol for me, okay?” Baekhyun said and both Suho and Kyungsoo nodded.

“Let’s go” Baekhyun turned towards Sehun as the latter took Baekhyun’s hand in his.

In the very next moment, both Sehun and Baekhyun vanished right in front of Kyungsoo and Suho, like they hadn’t even been standing there a minute ago.


	12. Chapter 12

_**When the heart is heavy** _   
_**And the night is lonely** _   
_**When your eyes search for one ray of hope** _   
_**My love,** _   
_**You'll always find me there** _

In no time, Baekhyun and Sehun landed at foot of Mt. Gandhamadana. Baekhyun looked around and all he could see was green valleys and a tall, very tall mountain standing not very far from where he was. To his surprise, it was still afternoon in this place.

“Oh shit” Baekhyun suddenly exclaimed. “I forgot to bring my phone”

Sehun sighed heavily. “You also forgot your passport but sure, worry about how you’re missing out on cat videos”

“Don’t be a dick” Baekhyun mocked. “I thought maybe the navigation would help me with the directions and stuff”

“Finding your way up to the top won’t be difficult, trust me”

Baekhyun pursed his lips in annoyance as Sehun led the way. After walking for a few minutes, Sehun halted and so did Baekhyun who was right behind him.

“This is where I leave you” Sehun said, standing across from a small stream that divided the mountain and the valley.

“Can’t you go a little further?”

Sehun shook his head. “My powers don’t work beyond this point.” He said. “I can already feel being drained of them right now. This place is like a neutral zone for creatures like us”

Baekhyun nodded. “How long do you think it will take me to reach up there?” Baekhyun asked, pointing towards the top of the mountain standing ahead of him.

“It should ideally take you 3 days on foot if you don’t get distracted by a puppy or something”

Baekhyun crinkled his nose. “You think I will be okay?”

Sehun thought about Baekhyun’s questions for a minute. Baekhyun had shown some very extraordinary skills for a human. If there was anyone who could walk to the top without any problem, it was probably Baekhyun.

“Yeah” Sehun said assuringly. “I think you will be fine. Just don’t tread out at night and find a high ground to sleep when you’re tired”

“Why?” Baekhyun asked nervously. “Are there wild animals?”

“It’s a mountain Baekhyun, of course there are wild animals”

Baekhyun knew he was creating obstacles in his own mind, perhaps to persuade himself from going through with it. Maybe if Sehun said Baekhyun didn’t have to do this, he would find some form of assurance. But he also knew he would never be persuaded otherwise. He had decided to find Chanyeol a cure and he would stop at nothing until that was done.

“Thank you for doing this” Sehun’s voice broke Baekhyun’s chain of thoughts.

“Don’t thank me yet” Baekhyun said with a smile. “Now go back. I’ll call for you once I am back down here”

Sehun nodded. “Be careful” he said.

“I have to go” Kyungsoo announced to Suho after they were alone in the latter’s apartment. “I need sleep and I also need to follow up on the kid who died”

Suho nodded. “I need to head to the hospital too. The post mortem reports should be out by now”

“Let me know if you find something odd” Kyungsoo replied.

Suho gave out a light laugh. “Everything about this is odd Kyungsoo. Whoever is doing this, has a brain wire loose”

“I know and we can’t let Baekhyun get into this mess. You know what will happen if he finds out some is trying to control Chanyeol”

Shaking his head, Suho took a seat on the couch as he picked up the newspaper from the morning. The gruesome details of the young boy’s murder covered almost half of the front page. “I don’t know what to think anymore. Baekhyun is with Kai, but Kai isn’t trustable. We trust Chanyeol but Baekhyun can’t be with him”

“Hold up… hold up” Kyungsoo said. “What do you mean can’t _be_ with him?”

Suho shrugged. “What else could that mean?”

“You’re kidding right?” Kyungsoo asked flabbergasted. “When did that happen? What have I been missing?”

“I swear Soo sometimes you’re as thick as a milkshake”

Kyungsoo scowled. “Will you just tell me?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Baekhyun has feelings, deep rooted feelings for Chanyeol”

“That’s…” Kyungsoo began, “…that’s not possible. Chanyeol is the Devil. _The Devil_. Baekhyun is a human. It’s a ridiculous thought”

Suho thought about the feelings that were bothering him of late. The way Sehun had been bothering him of late. For some reason he wasn’t able to take his mind off him and the more he thought about Sehun, the more obsessed he became. But what Kyungsoo said was right. There was no way two beings from such different worlds could be together.

“Yeah” Suho said, a little disheartened. “It’s ridiculous”

Kyungsoo nodded. “Whatever Baekhyun is doing for Chanyeol, it’s because he thinks of him as a…”

Suho waited with bated breath for Kyungsoo to complete the sentence.

“… as a very good friend”

“Really?” Suho asked. “Would you do the same for me or Baekhyun?”

“Yes” Kyungsoo said immediately and Suho raised an eyebrow at him. “Probably. Okay no I wouldn’t do that for you but I wouldn’t do that for anyone at all”

“Great to hear what a good friend you are Kyungsoo. Your wife would be so lucky to have someone like you in her life”

“Oh fuck off” Kyungsoo said. “Just don’t push Baekhyun into thinking whatever you’re thinking. He already has a very complicated life and to be involved with the Devil would be like walking into fire knowing how it will burn you. Kai maybe be untrustworthy, but at least he’s a human”

“Serial killers are human too. So are sex offenders”

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes at Suho. “You know what I mean”

Suho remained silent for a minute. “Is it really bad though, for the two of them to be together?”

Kyungsoo took a deep breath and sat beside Suho. “No Suho. It isn’t bad” he said and Suho caught on to the little hope that he was beginning to lose.

Kyungsoo continued. “It is a disaster.” He said and the tiny ray of hope that Suho held in his heart, suddenly turned into total darkness. “What do you think will happen if they come together? Chanyeol isn’t human. He has to go back to Hell. Baekhyun can’t go to hell he has to live his life here, on earth. How do you think this will end happily for either of them?”

Even though Suho knew everything Kyungsoo had just said was true, he wasn’t ready to believe it.

“You’re right” Suho said eventually, feeling the weight of his heart sinking with each second. “It’s absurd”

His thought momentarily drifted to the rushed kiss he had shared with Sehun. How the feeling lingered longer than he had expected to and how when he was running away, all he wanted to do was rush out again and grab Sehun by his hair before pulling him down to claim his lips, showing him how he had actually meant to do just that.

Shaking his head slightly, as if the motion would get rid of his erupting feelings for Sehun, Suho walked with Kyungsoo out of his apartment, hoping that he would find a way to escape his own mind.

Kyungsoo reached the police headquarter early next morning to inquire more about the kid who was killed. Luckily, an old acquaintance from High School, a junior to be specific, was stationed there. Although the guy was not particularly in touch with the rest for the past couple of years, Kyungsoo had recently bumped into him at a bar downtown.

When Kyungsoo entered the cramped office on the first floor that dealt with homicide, he found his friend deeply invested in reports.

Kyungsoo approached him and knocked on his desk twice.

“Hey Jongdae, are you busy?”

Jongdae, the detective looked at Kyungsoo and smiled. “Of course not. I am vacationing in Hawaii. Can’t you see?”

Kyungsoo gritted his teeth at him. He did not like sassy people, considering how sassy he was himself and he did not like the bitter taste of his own medicine being served to him.

“Can you help me with something?”

Jongdae stared at the lack of courtesy Kyungsoo displayed. In a way the detective appreciated it. He did not like people who sucked up too much just because they needed help. Kyungsoo was direct and there was no bullshit when he spoke.

“What do you want?”

“I need some information on the boy who was killed in the abandoned building”

The detective’s eyes immediately fell on the papers in his hands that he was examining earlier but the moment he tried to hide them, Kyungsoo caught his ploy and immediately snatched them away from him.

“That’s government’s property” Jongdae protested, trying to lunge himself forward to get the reports back from Kyungsoo.

“And I duly pay all my taxes” Kyungsoo said, hovering the files over his head. “So this…” he continued, “technically belongs to me”

Jongdae looked extremely annoyed at Kyungsoo’s lack of constitutional knowledge. “That’s not how it works, you idiot”

“Oh ho” Kyungsoo immediately responded. “Is that how you talk to your senior?”

Jongdae got up from his seat and dunked Kyungsoo’s head down to finally reach the papers in his hands. “We are not in high school anymore” he answered.

Opening his desk drawer, Jongdae placed the papers inside before locking it.

“Perhaps I can persuade you with other means” Kyungsoo mused. “Perhaps I can tell a certain friend of mine how you’ve had the biggest crush on him since middle school” he finished with a smug.

The detective stared in morbid silence at the evilness reeking out of an otherwise innocent looking face.

“I … you… how the fuck did you know?” Jongdae’s voice rang through the small office and all heads turned to him in curiosity. Jongdae smiled nervously at them and bowed his head in apology.

“How did you find out?” he asked in a tone much lower than the one he had previously used.

“You think I wouldn’t have noticed how you always insisted on making all three of us lunch every Friday but gave the bento box only to Suho and watched him eat?”

Jongdae shook his head in embarrassment.

“Honestly” Kyungsoo continued. “I am surprised how you even became a detective considering how obvious you are”.

“Shit” Jongdae exclaimed. “Did Suho notice too?”

Kyungsoo placed an empathetic hand on Jongdae’s shoulder. “Surprisingly enough, that idiot is even a bigger moron than you. So no, he doesn’t know it yet.”

The young officer breathed out a sigh of relief.

“But who knows, that might change for some reason” Kyungsoo teased. “I might even bring him over to talk to you. Did you know his hospital is in charge of the autopsy?”

Jongdae scowled at Kyungsoo. “You manipulative piece of shit” he muttered and Kyungsoo laughed that he had successfully managed to blackmail a detective.

“What do you want?” Jongdae asked with resentment leaking from his words.

“Just the boy’s basic details. His university, part time work details, closest friends, his daily activity etc.”

Even though Jongdae knew he shouldn’t just give into Kyungsoo’s plans so easily, there was nothing he believed he could do otherwise. Jongdae had managed to keep his one sided crush a secret for over a decade now and he was not about to let Suho know that. In fact he wouldn’t let Suho know that ever.

Reluctantly, Jongdae opened his desk drawer again, pulling out the files and the papers he had hidden from Kyungsoo. Handing them over to his evil senior, Jongdae ran his hand through his hair nervously.

“If my boss finds out about this, I am dead”

His eyes casually glanced over to the desk placed at the corner of the small room and Kyungsoo followed his gaze.

“That’s your boss?” Kyungsoo asked in absolute shock. “What is he? 15 years old? Is he even allowed to be in this building?”

“Shh” Jongdae instructed Kyungsoo to lower his voice. “He may look like he is 15 but he is the fiercest cop in the district. In fact he is the youngest man to become a Captain. And if he finds out I am sharing this file with you, he will roast my ass on his personal barbeque grill”

“Damn” Kyungsoo whispered back. “He doesn’t look like what you just said. At all”

It seemed as if Kyungsoo’s words were being waited to be heard because just then, the Captain stood up from his seat, swiveling his chair in a violent jerk and slammed his palms on his desk with a loud thud.

“Do you call this a fucking report?” he screamed, holding a bunch of papers in his hand. “Is this the quality of shit you could produce after taking three entire days of report making?”

The person the Captain was yelling at, stood across him, over his desk, almost shivering.

The Captain threw the papers on the poor guy’s face and it almost felt like the chap had been slapped. Nothing could be heard in the office except the rustling of papers falling on the floor after being thrown into the air.

The guy being yelled at, immediately got on his knees and collected all the papers one after the other before placing them back on the Captain’s desk. It was like he was inviting the captain to humiliate him again.

“You good for nothing stupid fucks” he went on. “You think just because you are being paid by the government, you can slack off you filthy pigs?”

Kyungsoo suddenly realized that he was not talking to just the man standing opposite to him but to everyone in the department.

“You think you have secure jobs because you fucking passed a stupid exam and now you think you owe the government your laziness because you worked too hard to get here? Worthless cowards”

“Isn’t that too much?” Kyungsoo softly whispered to Jongdae and the latter immediately put a finger to his lips, indicating him to stop talking.

The Captain picked up the papers from his desk for the second time and Kyungsoo thought the man would get hit again, but this time, the captain walked over to the garbage bin not very far from his desk and held the pages in his hand. In the very next moment, he fished out a zippo from his back pocket and with a disgruntled frown on his face, set the papers on fire before throwing them in the bin.

“Oi Jongdae” he called next and Jongdae immediately stood from his seat.

“Yes Sir” he said, even though he hated being called the way the Captain just did. He never used ‘ _officer’_ with his name like he did with others. Everyone else was given respect, but Jongde, he was always ‘ _Oi Jongdae’._

“Teach this dumbfuck how to write a report” he said and without looking at anyone else, he walked out of the room, to smoke his anger out after lighting his entire department on fire.

“I’m fucked” Jongdae said as he sunk back on his seat after the Captain was gone. “I swear he hates me the most in the department”

“Huh?” Kyungsoo asked in confusion. “He just asked you to help someone. Why would he ask you to do that if he hated you?”

Jongdae almost looked like he would cry. “The guy he just yelled at is my immediate boss. Now he will think I had been trying to suck up to the captain with my reports, trying to show off. My boss will make my life a living hell because of what the Captain just did”

Kyungsoo tried to understand the situation but soon gave up. “This is so complicated my brain hurts” he muttered.

“Just get what you want and fuck off, will you?”

Kyungsoo looked at him with a ‘not-so-soon’ look and Jongdae almost wailed in a desperate attempt to escape him.

“What? What now? What else do you want from me? Do you want one of my kidneys too? Or perhaps both my lungs? Can I also interest you in my liver while you’re at it?”

Rolling his eyes, Kyungoo have out a heavy snort.

“Stop being such an overdramatic bitch” he said. “I just need you to come with me while I question his friends”

“Why? Why do you need me to come with you Kyungsoo? Can’t you just blackmail your way into finding what you want just how you did with me?”

Kyungsoo laughed at the obvious sarcasm. “You’re the police you stupid fuck. I have no authority to question anyone. Moreover, probably the questions I have to ask can help you with the investigation”

Jongdae thought about the proposition for a while. He already was supposed to go out on rounds of questioning, perhaps going out with Kyungsoo would help him find something he would have missed. _Fresh pair of eyes._

“Fine” Jongdae said.

“Really?” Kyungsoo asked almost as if he was surprised by the instant agreement, like he had prepared himself for an intense battle of words to convince him.

“Yeah” Jongdae replied as he picked up the files, his mobile and car keys from the desk. “But you follow my orders. One slip and I am dropping your ass all on your own. Good luck finding out your answers then”

Even though Kyungsoo hated the idea of being ordered around, that too by a junior, he really needed the answers more than his own annoying quirks. “Okay” he finally said. “Where are we going first?”

Kyungsoo opened the file, confirmed what he was looking for and closed it.

“Seoul University of Refined Arts” he said, leading the way out from the office.

Once they walked out of the building and down the stairs, both Jongdae and Kyungsoo rushed towards the police car when a familiar yet unpleasant voice stopped them.

“Oi Jongdae”

Jongdae squinted his eyes in frustration. There it was, his name being called out without respect, again. He and Kyungsoo turned around to see the Captain standing out near the edge of the stairs, smoking under the warm sun.

“Ye… yes sir” Jongdae said, standing still.

“Where are you off to?”

The young officer gave out a fake smile. “Background check on the boy” he said, holding up the files in his hand.

The Captain nodded. “Who is he?” he asked bluntly and it took Jongdae by surprise.

“Just a friend from high school”

Clearing his throat, the Captain threw the half smoked cigarette on the road before killing its flames under his shoes.

Kyungsoo was already picking out lines in his head to lecture the man against littering when in the next moment, the captain picked the bud up and threw it in the garbage bin.

“You can go” he ordered Jongdae and the latter stood straight in salute.

“Thank you, Captain Minseok” he said and turned around before getting into his car.

Baekhyun had been walking uphill for over a day now. The sun was blazing high and it hit Baekhyun with a devastating sweep of tiring heat. When the sun had set the previous night, despite being cautioned by Sehun to rest, Baekhyun had decided to continue his journey. It had been over 20 hours that Baekhyun had been walking straight up without any halt.

He took a pause and held his breath as he glanced up to the sky. The tip of the mountain had vanished somewhere in the journey but Baekhyun knew the direction he had to go to so it didn’t matter. He wondered if he would reach the top in half the time if he kept walking without any stops. He had climbed up half way in around 20 hours and he presumed if he continued for 20 more, he’d reach his destination.

The idea brought in a new wave of motivation for Baekhyun. Suddenly, the sun didn’t feel as hot anymore. He treaded on his journey with a resolve to find the Ancient Healer in half the time he had in mind.

Baekhyun had only walked up a few paces when he heard a strange sound. He looks around in a haze to find where the noise was coming from but all he could see was the uneven earth and trees.

Deciding to ignore the strange noise, Baekhyun decided to walk further. Just like last time, the same weird sound fell on his ears the moment he had taken a few steps. But this time, the sound was clearer than before.

“Hello?” Baekhyun asked. “Is anyone there?”

He was met with the continuation of what sounded like groans. Whether it was a human’s groan or an animal’s, he was still unsure.

As Baekhyun kept walking, he realized the wails were getting closer. Whoever or whatever it was, was not very far from Baekhyun now.

Climbing up a small steep, Baekhyun found himself facing at a small stream that passed by a meadow of sorts. It was not a vast expanse but the clearing made Baekhyun see the mountain more clearly and he realized he had somehow continued his journey towards east when he was supposed to go south.

The moment Baekhyun began his journey towards the southern direction, the same voice reached him again. He turned around and this time, he could see something moving on the other side of the stream. Whatever it was, for still too far for Baekhyun to take a look at clearly.

For a moment, Baekhyun wondered if he should simply continue up south, ignoring whatever was crying for help. He had a more urgent matter to cater to and there was only one goal for which he had any reason to be on the mountain in the first place.

As Baekhyun turned his back to the sound, he waited for the prick of his conscious to tell him what to do. The voice in his head, Chanyeol’s voice to be precise, hadn’t bothered him since the day he brought Chanyeol back from purgatory.

But had the voice been there, in Baekhyun’s head, it would have told him to help the one who obviously seemed in pain. It would have told him that ignoring one life for another was not something he was built for, even if the life was insignificant to him.

Shaking his head in frustration with himself, Baekhyun turned around.

He started walking towards the stream that he would have to cross in order to reach the other end. When he reached the edge, Baekhyun looked at the source of the cries. It was definitely not an animal. As he stepped into the stream and walked further, he soon realized that lying on a bed of green pasture in the meadows, was an old lady.

Baekhyun immediately rushed to her side and tried to make her sit up.

“Are you okay?” he asked. “Are you hurt?”

The woman looked old and frail like she had been weighed down by the passage of time.

“Son” she said amidst her cries. “Can you help me reach my home?”

Baekhyun nodded without hesitation. “Where is your house?”

The woman pointed her hand towards the northern side of the meadow. “Down there”

Baekhyun cocked his head to the direction the lady was pointing to and realized that it was on the opposite side of where he was heading. He would have to go back to where he had come from. Baekhyun looked at the mountain once more and wondered how was it that he would have to start from scratch, without food or a place to stay.

He had already been starving, considering how the last thing he ate was dinner with Kyungsoo before Chanyeol had gone missing. Having climbed half the mountain had weakened his muscles and he was low on energy. If he had to start from the beginning, it would mean continuing to stay hungry and sleep deprived all the way through.

Baekhyun hit himself on his head once for being selfish and thinking about himself while the old woman needed more help than he did.

“I’ll help you get home” Baekhyun said. “Can you walk?”

The woman tried getting up with support from Baekhyun but toppled back down almost immediately.

Baekhyun knew he had no other choice.

“Grandma” he said out of courtesy for the old woman. “I’ll carry you on my back. Is that okay?”

The woman nodded. She had no other choice too.

With that, Baekhyun hoisted the old lady on his back. She wasn’t heavy but she wasn’t exactly light either. The only consolation Baekhyun had was that he was climbing down rather than up because the latter would have been an impossible task with the added weight on his back.

For some reason, the way down the mountain was more troublesome than the way up. It could be partly because Baekhyun was literally carrying an added responsibility on his shoulders. Every step needed to be careful, every descend had to be meticulous.

After walking for what seemed like miles, Baekhyun could faintly located the outline of a small hut. The sun had settled down and the sky shone with the hues of pink and violet. Baekhyun had been walking nonstop and his back was killing him but he had no time to stop. He needed to get the woman home and head back as soon as was possible.

“Grandma” Baekhyun called out to the woman on her back. “Is that your house?”

“Huh?” The old woman’s weak voice reached him. She squinted her eyes to try and focus on the image in front of her but her sight was weak. “I can’t see from this far. You’ll have to go closer”

Baekhyun sighed. Holding on to the scraps of energy felt in his legs, he marched forward. Luckily, this far down, the field was more even and trustworthy. Baekhyun fastened his pace, desperate to reach the temporary destination faster.

Once he was close, the old woman exclaimed in delight. “Oh we’re here”

Baekhyun let out a joyous breath. He had finally reached. He set the old lady down by the porch of her small hut and straightened his back.

“Ow” he wailed in pain as he heard the bones on his back crackling. Hitting his lower back with his own fist, he wondered if he had enough energy to walk back up where he had just come from.

“Can you grab me the pouch of medicine from the table near the window?” the old woman called out and Baekhyun did not hesitate to complete her request.

He rushed inside and brought the small bag medicine out immediately.

“Can you also get me some water from the pot by the stove?”

Baekhyun nodded and within no time, he had brought the old woman some water in an earthen mug.

The woman happily took her medicines and the very next moment, she stood up and paced inside the house, healthy as a horse.Baekhyun stared after her in astonishment and then reached down to pick up the bag of medicine, wondering if it was even possible that someone could heal so quick.

It was then that he realized that he was on a mountain where the Ancient Healer resided. Of course this was possible. And this small incident gave Baekhyun immense hope about Chanyeol. 

“I must get going” Baekhyun announced from the porch, loud enough for the old woman to hear.

“Nonsense” she called out. “At least have something to eat before you go”

“I really can’t”

The old woman surfaced back out with a stern look on her face.

“I will not have you leave without paying the debt I owe you boy” she said. “Besides, look how skinny you are. Don’t they feed you well back home?”

Baekhyun nervously grazed his hands over his lanky arms and gave out a weak smile.

“If you stay here long enough, I will feed you till you become fat as a buffalo.”

Those words made Baekhyun laugh. “You don’t have to worry about it” he said politely. “I must leave now if I have to reach back up in time”

“You’ve come a long way my boy” the old lady said softly. “Warm food and a good night’s sleep didn’t do anyone any harm. You look like you’ve barely even slept”

It was true though. Baekhyun had hardly had any sleep in the past few days and he presumed it was starting to take a toll on him.

Not wanting to be too rude, Baekhyun nodded in affirmation. “Okay I will stay for the food then”

These words made the woman very happy and in a very profound way, Baekhyun found himself feeling good about the decision he had made when he had helped the woman rather than going on with his own plan.

Kyungsoo and Jongdae had been out on the field the entire day. Turned out, the victim’s friends had various classes spread throughout the day so they had to stake at the university campus to try and catch hold of each one.

And to their bad luck, the boy had a very big group of friends.

“How many to go?” Kyungsoo asked and Jongdae checked his files again.

“One more”

Kyungsoo sighed and dropped to the grassy field outside in the campus. It was almost 8 in the evening and under strict orders by Jongdae, he hadn’t eaten anything because they couldn’t ‘ _abandon post’_ as per him.

“Are you going to continue to ask these students stupid questions?” Jongdae asked at which Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow.

“My questions are not stupid” Kyungsoo retaliated, plucking out a few grass stems and throwing them at the detective.

“Sure” Jongdae replied. “Questions like ‘ _Was he an atheist?_ ’ is not stupid at all and does everything to solve the murder”

Kyungsoo sighed. “Believe it or not Jongdae, if I do find the answer, it is surely going to help you”

The detective shook his head and sat down near Kyungsoo with his legs crossed. He flipped open the file again and started jotting down some notes.

“Can you stop doing that?” Kyungsoo asked in irritation. “Don’t you already have it all memorized by now?”

Jongdae looked up from the papers in his hands to Kyungsoo. “What else would you have me doing?”

Kyungsoo immediately sat up. “We have an hour until the lecture gets over, right?”

Jongdae nodded.

“So they won’t be out until 9?” Kyungsoo asked, earning another nod from the detective.

“Can we please, please, please go eat something?” he begged. “I promise we will be back before the lecture ends”

Jongdae sighed. He realized he had been too strict on Kyungsoo. “Fine” he said, giving up. “But we better be back in less than an hour”

Kyungsoo jumped with joy over the thought of finally being able to eat something.

“Let’s go” he said, pulling Jongdae by his arm.

Despite being dinner time, the university cafeteria was emptier than they expected.

“There” Kyungsoo said, pointing at a table that had a couple of students sitting around it. “Let’s sit over there”

They had already filled their food trays with as much food as they could eat; possibly more.

“There are plenty of empty seats around here, why do you want to go there specifically?” Jongdae asked at Kyungsoo’s weird quirks.

“Just follow my lead”

“Follow your lead in what?”

Before Jongdae could get a reply, Kyungsoo strode towards the table that was almost full.

“Mind if we join you?” Kyungsoo asked. A few of the students looked up from their food trays but did not pay Kyungsoo much attention and got back to eating.

They lack of interest gave Kyungsoo a signal of approval and he motioned Jongdae to take a seat as well.

Kyungsoo felt a weird vibe with the students sitting there. Weren’t kids their age more talkative and cheerful? Especially when they were around food?

Jongdae’s eyes suddenly fell on an ID that belonged to the students. He wiggled his eyebrows at Kyungsoo and cocked his head to the right, indication him to look at the ID.

The moment Kyungsoo saw it too, he smiled inwardly. The ID indicated that these students were in the same year as the boy who had died.

Kyungsoo was eyeing Jongdae to start questioning the students for intel but the later was absolutely clueless.

‘Question them’ Kyungsoo mouthed.

‘Ah’ the detective mouthed back, finally catching up to speed and all Kyungsoo could do was sink his head in his hands, still wondering how Jongdae became a detective.

“I am Jongdae from the cri…” Jongdae suddenly began but Kyungsoo immediately cut him short.

“We’re sorry for your loss” he intervened.

Two of the five students sitting there looked at him with surprise in their eyes while the other three were showing nothing but sympathy.

“I am sorry to have barged in on you so suddenly but do you mind if we ask you a few questions?” Kyungsoo continued.

By then, all the five students were done with their dinners and when Kyungsoo asked if he could ask them questions, only the two who had shown interest earlier, stayed while the rest got up and left.

“Who are you?” the girl sitting next to Kyungsoo asked.

“Oh I am Kyungsoo and this is Jongdae. We are with… erm… the church”

“The Church?” The boy beside Jongdae asked while Jongdae gave his friend a stern look for lying.

“You see the poor boy did not have any family” Kyungsoo continued “and for his funeral, we need to find out the kind of burial he needs to be given”

“That’s very thorough of you” the boy said. “I’ve never seen the church be so invested before”

Kyungsoo smiled. “All had changed since Pastor Jongdae arrived at our Church” Kyungsoo said, pointing his finger at the detective. Jongdae instinctively mouthed a ‘WHAT?’ at Kyungsoo before smiling nervously at the two kids.

“I’ve never seen anyone from the church wear such clothes either” the girl muttered, looking at Kyungsoo and Jongdae’s attires.

“Ah” Kyungsoo began and the detective shook his head. One more lie.

“You see we’re not traditionalists. Our Pastor Jongdae strongly believes that what you wear doesn’t define your love for God as long as you carry him in your heart”

Jongdae did not understand how, but just that one line convinced the kids enough to let them open up.

“Okay, what do you want to know?” the girl said.

“Did he believe in God?” Kyungsoo asked and the girl shrugged at him. Kyungsoo was so proud of himself for using the disguise under Church’s name because this question would have seemed so odd otherwise.

“We didn’t know him that well” she said and the boy on the opposite nodded.

“We had a few classes together but no one really hung out with him” he said.

“And why is that?” Jongdae questioned.

“I don’t know” the boy replied. “He had a temper, you know. Always got into trouble”

This was entirely new piece of information. So far, Jongdae had only been told that the boy was very social and had a large group of friends.

“So he had no friends at all?” Jongdae asked.

“I mean he had a few people he often hung out with. But they were mostly his roommate’s friends and it was pity friendship than an actual one”

Something heavy settled inside of Jongdae upon hearing that. Something that rose stems of discomfort within in.

“That’s horrible” Kyungsoo muttered and soon realized his emotions were all over the place.

“Do you know anyone who can help us know if he was religious or at least spiritual?” Kyungsoo went on. “For the funeral, you know”

“You should talk to his roommate Kevin” the boy said. “He is the only one who can help you”

With that, the two students picked up their trays and got up to leave.

“Is Kevin the one left for questioning?” Kyungsoo asked.

Jongdae nodded in confirmation. “He’s been avoiding us since yesterday but he won’t escape this time. Eat fast”

Just as scheduled, the detective and Kyungsoo positioned themselves outside the university building, waiting for the class to end. When it did, students walked out in dispersed manner and both of them had to be quick to look for Kevin. After filtering through almost 30 students, they finally located him.

“Kevin?” Jongdae asked, as he stopped one of the students.

The boy nodded. “I am with the Homicide Department” Jongdae said, pulling his badge out. “Mind if we ask you a few questions?”

“I’m… I’ve to get back. I am already late” he said, trying to rush away.

“This will only take a minute” Kyungsoo asserted. “Unless you want us to walk with you to your dorm and ask you questions there?”

The latter suggestion made Kevin very uncomfortable. “Fine” he said, giving up. “What do you want to know?”

After Jongdae and Kyungsoo were done asking Kevin questions, they walked away with two very sure answers. First, the boy who died, Ethan, as his name was, was not someone whose death affected the rest. And second, that he was a true atheist, an infidel, like Sehun had told Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo and Jongdae were back in their car, ready to head back.

“Got everything you needed?” Kyungsoo asked before Jongdae started his car. Out of habit, the detective picked up his files again and crosschecked if he had all the questions answered.

“Yes” he replied. “You?”

Kyungsoo nodded.

“Why was it so important? To know if he was an infidel?”

Kyungsoo looked out the window, thinking to himself. He wondered if he could trust Jongdae with at least parts of information. He was after all, looking for the murderer too.

Maybe sharing a little wouldn’t hurt anyone.

He turned and looked at Jongdae.

“The truth is…” he began but suddenly something caught his eye.

“Wait…” he said, pausing whatever he was about to say before. His eyes wandered off to the street outside the university and a wave of shock passed down his body. “Isn’t that… isn’t that Kai?” he asked, looking at the tall figure walking alone in the darkness.

Jongdae’s head immediately flipped to the other side and he too looked outside the window.

“How…” Jongdae began, his voice shaking a little. “How do you know Kai?” he asked.

Kyungsoo stared at him in astonishment. “You know him too?”

Jongdae took a silent breath. “He’s my cousin”

“He’s what?” Kyungsoo wasn’t really coming to terms with it all. The world really was a small place.

“How do you know him?”

Kyungsoo stared at the silhouette of the man who had now disappeared. “He’s Baekhyun’s fiancé”

The drive back to the police headquarters was full of silent discomfort and relentless brooding. Neither knew why just the mention of Kai’s name made the other’s hair rise. Whatever it was, it didn’t feel right.

It was Kyungsoo who broke the silence when they got off the car outside the HQ.

“Jongdae” he said. “How well do you know Kai?”

Kyungsoo could see that the recalling of his name did something weird to Jongdae.

“Not too much” he confessed. “His father and my father were brothers” he continued. “But his parents severed ties with our family long back. I only know of him through my grandmother, nothing else”

“I thought his grandmother died a few years ago”

“That was his maternal grandma. She is the one his parents chose to live with.”

“Chose to live with?” Kyungsoo asked. “What does that mean?”

Jongdae sighed and leaned against his car, crossing his arms over his chest.

“I don’t know much but when Kai was born, my uncle, his father, decided one day that he no longer wanted to be associated with our family. He said that the only mother he knew was his wife’s mother and that he never wanted to see our family again”

“That’s terrible” Kyungsoo said. “Why would he do that?”

Jongdae shrugged. “I don’t know. But even now when the subject comes up, my grandmother recalls the day and says that Kai’s father was so enraged and mad, it was almost as if he had been bewitched”

Jongdae laughed at the last line. “My grandma is very superstitious.” He said. “I guess she just couldn’t accept that her older son decided to abandon his own mother and thus she blames it on something as baseless as witchcraft”

Had the past few months not happened, Kyungsoo would have joined Jongdae in his disbelief of the supernatural. But he had seen and known enough to know that it was entirely possible that witchcraft was as real as Baekhyun summoning the Devil.

Kyungsoo suddenly turned towards Jongdae. “Can I be honest with you?” Kyungsoo asked.

Jongdae nodded. “Sure”

Kyungsoo closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It was better to just say it out loud and get it over with. If his assessments were right, Jongdae wouldn’t hate him for what he was about to say.

“I don’t really trust Kai” Kyungsoo blurted. “There is just something about him that doesn’t feel right”

Unexpectedly, the detective laughed at Kyungsoo. “You feel it too huh?” he asked.

“Yeah. It’s weird”

Jongdae pursed his lips and tilted his head up to look at the night sky. “He has always been like that, you know. A little weird”

“How do you mean?”

“Do you remember Junior Year when I had just transferred schools?”

Kyungsoo nodded. He remembered clearly. It was officially the first day back and he Suho and Baekhyun were walking in when they saw Jongdae standing outside the building looking mortified.

“You were scared shitless to go in. It was Suho who helped you, wasn’t it?”

Jongdae smiled at the memory. “I was not only scared, I was petrified. To be at school was one of my biggest fears after what had happened”

Kyungsoo suddenly noted the dense voice in which Jongdae was speaking. “What happened?”

“I and Kai were in the same school before I transferred. Naturally I had no clue who he was because before that, no one in my family even mentioned his or his father’s name. I didn’t even know my father had an older brother. But it was different with Kai. He seemed to know who I was. And he was always different with me in front of people and when we were alone”

“Different?” Kyungsoo asked. “How so?”

“When the both of us were surrounded by other people, he treated me like how own brother. But when we were alone, he used to hit me for no reason”

“Jongdae, what the fuck?”

The detective sighed. “I don’t know where all his anger came from but in the beginning it was not a big deal. A casual hit on the head, a powerless shove on the chest but as I started ignoring, his behavior started getting more intense. It seemed like he was intentionally doing this to get in trouble. And he did. The year before Junior Year, I was walking back to my class after gym period because I felt tired and unwell. The rest of my class was still in practice and I was alone in the classroom when Kai walked in. I had never seen him so mad. He came at me, yelling my name, asking me why I won’t report him to my parents or the teachers. He began taking swings at me because I wouldn’t tell on him. He said he didn’t want my pity and that I was nothing but a powerless scum. I don’t remember much after that except that I woke up in the hospital with 3 cracked ribs and a fracture on my arm and one on my leg”

“Fucking hell Jongdae why the fuck didn’t you say anything before?”

“It didn’t really matter.” Jongdae said. “I wanted to escape what had happened and the new school allowed me to have that. The three of you became my friends when I was new, even if I was a junior. I probably haven’t said this before but I am very thankful to you, Baekhyun and Suho”

“Shut up Jongdae” Kyungsoo said hotheadedly. “We’re friends. You don’t have to thank us for it”

The detective shook his head. “You don’t understand. Even after you guys helped me the first day, I was still very reserved. I didn’t make friends for months after transferring. I didn’t talk to anyone, I ate lunch alone and I was so lonely until you guys invited me to hang out with you. Initially I was reluctant but Suho was so persistent”

Kyungsoo smiled. “He really liked you, you know”

Jongdae smiled back. “I know. I really liked him too”

There was a moment of passing silence between the two of them as they admired the warmth of friendship despite how cold it was.

“Kyungsoo” Jongdae said, breaking the stillness in the air. “You guys didn’t become my friends out of pity, did you?”

Jongdae’s mind had been running wild since he had heard about Kevin and his friends befriending Ethan out of pity. He couldn’t help but wonder if it was the same for him.

“I will beat the living shit out of you if you ever say that again” Kyungsoo yelled. “Is that how little you think of us?”

“It’s not something to be ashamed of Kyungsoo. Even if it was pity, it was a very noble gesture on your end. I will not stop being grateful even if it was”

“Shut the fuck up or I will punch you till you do”

Kyungsoo saw that despite what Jongdae was saying, he was hurt. He immediately pulled his phone out from his pocket and dialed Suho’s number.

“What are you doing?” Jongdae asked, trying to take Kyungsoo’s phone away from him.

“Shh” Kyungsoo muttered and just then, Suho picked up.

“Ssup?” Suho hollered into the phone.

“Guess who I ran into today?” Kyungsoo asked.

“Who?”

“Guess you bitch”

“Keanu Reeves?”

“What?” Kyungsoo asked in shock. “How the fuck will I run into Keanu Reeves in Seoul?”

“I don’t know, he maybe here for shooting John Wick 4. I’ve heard this time he kills his enemies with a sheet of paper”

“No way”

“Yes way” Suho squealed.

“Ahem” Jongdae interrupted their little fangirling moment.

“Oh right” Kyungsoo suddenly remembered what he had called Suho for. “Okay so I didn’t run into Keanu Reeves but I did run into Kim Jongdae, our junior from school”

“Really?” Suho asked. “Wow man how long has it been since we’ve seen him?”

“Years” Kyungsoo said with a smile. “Did you know he’s detective now?”

“No way” Suho said with amused joy. “That’s so great to hear”

Jongdae could actually sense the pride in his voice.

“Yeah he’s still a sassy bitch though” Kyungsoo said. “Why did we become friends with him in the first place?”

There it was. The question out in the open.

“What do you mean?” Suho asked.

“I mean why did we actually become friends with him? He was a junior, wasn’t he?”

“Why are you asking this now?”

“I don’t know, I bumped into him and he annoyed the fuck out of me in 10 minutes so I was just wondering, did we make friends with him out of pity?”

There was a small pause.

“Soo what the fuck is wrong with you?” Suho asked. “It was not pity. I have never pitied Jongdae and I know you and Baekhyun have never either.”

Kyungsoo smiled at this. “To say that we made Jongdae our friend out of petty sympathy would be like saying you and Baekhyun felt sorry for me and decided to add me to the group. It’s insulting Soo. Don’t ever say that”

Jongdae looked at Kyungsoo with moistened eyes. How could he have misunderstood them so bad?

“What was it then?” Kyungsoo went on. “There must be some reason why Jongdae and we were friends. If it was not sympathy, what was it?”

“I swear Do Kyungsoo I don’t know what’s gotten into you today. Since when do you talk like this?”

Kyungsoo’s expressions changed. Suho called him by his full name which meant he was very disappointed in him.

“I am sorry I am just worked up and annoyed. Please just humor me and tell me what it was if not sympathy”

Suho did not speak immediately. It was like he was trying to understand it all himself.

“It wasn’t sympathy. It was more like empathy”

“What?” This even surprised Kyungsoo. “Empathy?”

“When I saw him, I saw myself. You know how it was with me and my family. I just didn’t want him to feel lonely just like I did most of the time”

“Suho” Kyungsoo said. He had no idea Suho had been bottling this up for so long. “You were never alone. You always had us”

“I know” Suho laughed. “But back then I was fairly new to the group. You and Baekhyun had been friends since you were kids while I was the new kid. I wanted to be Jongdae’s friends because I wanted to do what you and Baekhyun did for me. By approaching me and allowing me to be in your lives”

Kyungsoo did not know what to say to this. He hadn’t even thought about their friendship so much.

“Both of you are so stupid” Kyungsoo growled.

“Both?” Suho asked. “Who both?”

“You and Keanu Reeves” Kyungsoo replied. “I’m hanging up” he quickly said and hung up.

“That was rude” Jongdae said.

“Yeah well I can’t do mush and he knows it well”

Kyungsoo then looked at Jongdae and smiled. “I hope you got your answer”

Jongdae smiled back and nodded. “I did. I finally did”

Baekhyun ate to his heart’s content. He hadn’t even realized how hungry he actually was until he saw the food in front of him. He ate like he had been starved for months.

“Are you sure you want to leave immediately?” the old woman asked after Baekhyun was done eating.

Baekhyun nodded. “I must if I have to reach there on time” he said, pointing towards the top of the mountain.

“You seek the Ancient Healer, don’t you?”

Pursing his lips Baekhyun nodded again.

“It’s not easy to find him” the woman said. “Many come seeking him, many have over the past years, but I haven’t seen a single one find him yet”

“Not even one?” Baekhyun asked, a little disappointed.

The woman shook her head. “Most don’t even pass through half the journey. They give up too easy”

“I can’t afford to give up” Baekhyun said. “I just can’t”

The old woman looked at him with twinkle in her eyes. “You’re not seeking the Ancient Healer for yourself, are you?”

Baekhyun was astonished. “How… how did you know?”

The woman smiled. “I just had a feeling” she said. “So who is it that you’re seeking the Ancient Healer’s help for?”

Baekhyun thought about the question for a moment. His eyes travelled to the endless night that seemed scary but he somehow felt like he could pierce through the unknown and find that answers he had been looking for.

“A friend” he said. “Someone very important to me”

The old woman looked at Baekhyun and smiled. “That’s very nice of you. Not many people do this for someone that’s not family” she said as she picked up the utensils she had served Baekhyun for food.

“Let me help you” Baekhyun said as he rushed to collect everything.

“You can take them to the back of the house” the woman called out. “I will wash them later”

Baekhyun went out back but returned a few minutes later than expected.

“What took you so long?” the woman asked.

“Oh I washed everything and kept them inside” Baekhyun said softly, not wanting to draw much attention to it.

“You’re a good boy” the woman said. “I hope you can find the Healer”

Baekhyun noted that her words were sincere and all he felt in his heart was gratitude.

“Why don’t you sleep under a roof tonight?” the woman offered. “I will send you off with food tomorrow”

The invitation to sleep in a warm house was very tempting. But Baekhyun knew he must get going.

“I really can’t. I am sorry” he said.

“Very well” the woman told him. “Wait here” she said and vanished inside her small yet sufficient hut.

She came out a few minutes later with a bag.

“Take this with you” she said, offering it to Baekhyun.

“What is it?”

“Enough food and water for you to last till you come back”

“No no” Baekhyun said. “I can’t take this. I will be fine”

“You will not be fine boy. This mountain won’t give you food or shelter. You are not its own and it won’t provide for you. You will starve to death before you even reach the top”

For a second Baekhyun thought about what the woman had just said. Was this what had happened to all those people who had come to seek the Ancient Healer before Baekhyun? Was this what the woman meant when she said that they didn’t even make it to half the way?

Even though Baekhyun did not want to take anything from the old woman, he reached his hand out and took the bag. If reaching the top meant surviving, he had to do anything he could for it because Chanyeol’s life was at stake.

“Thank you” he said politely with a bow and the old woman bid him farewell.

Baekhyun had always been good with directions. That was the only reason he was able to navigate his way through the uneven mountain in the dead of the night. He heard occasional cries of animals and the hoots of owls but nothing broke his resolve to keep moving forward. He wondered if he should have indeed taken a few hours of nap. His back was killing him again and his feet were weary.

He mounted the bag that the old woman had generously given him and continued.

He walked for hours. The night passed and he came close to dawn. When the world became more visible, Baekhyun realized that he was still quite far from the stream where he had found the old woman.

Baekhyun did not mind how his body was beginning to fail him with every step that he took. Nothing would prevent him from reaching his destination; not even Baekhyun himself. His speed was undeterred and there was no stopping him.

As dawn turned into midday, Baekhyun finally reached the small stream from the previous day.

“It’s only halfway from here” he told himself. He was determined to walk further but the sun was scorching him, draining Baekhyun of every last strand of energy he had within him.

Thinking that he could perhaps rest for a little while, Baekhyun found a tree and rested himself down under the shade.

Before he even realized it, his eyes shut and he went off to sleep immediately, tired from walking continuously from the past two days.

When Baekhyun woke up, he hastily absorbed his surroundings. It was still day time. He had not overslept. But the sun was hanging low and he realized that he had lost at least a couple of hours.

Suddenly Baekhyun felt a strange wetness on his face and only then did he realize that he had been crying in his sleep. He did not remember what he saw, he only remembered being very sad. And just like that, he knew the dream was about Chanyeol, even if he did not recall any of it.

He stood up and pulled the bag of food on his back. Baekhyun looked at the stream once. He was at the threshold of where everyone before him had come to. No one had gone beyond this point. For a minute he wondered if he should eat something before he went off again. But food was not a priority at this point. He still had a full day’s climb to make and decided that he would eat when he felt he was hungry later.

With that, he treaded on his journey once again and kept walking until the afternoon turned into evening and evening turned into night. The mountain past the stream was steeper and he had to exert more force to walk up. Even then, he continued with resilience. Every time he stopped, Chanyeol’s smiling face would flash before his eyes and the fear that he may never be able to see it again, scared him out of his wits. So despite his body telling him to stop and rest, he kept on walking.

By the dawn of the next day, Baekhyun had already conquered three quarters of the mountain. His feet were now sore, like every muscle in his body. This part of the mountain was not dense. It did not show any signs of life or vegetation. Baekhyun figured out that there was probably no source of water so high up which made this part of the mountain look abandoned.

Dropping his bag to the ground, Baekhyun sat down for a minute. The day wasn’t warm yet and the remnants of last night’s cold air still hung low.

He couldn’t hold out anymore. He was starving and parched and he felt like he would die any moment now.

Placing the bag in front of him, Baekhyun opened it slowly.

The old lady had packed him assortments of food Baekhyun hadn’t even seen in his life. He did not even know what each of them was called. But just the sight of food made him so happy that he did not care. He picked something up that looked like a white ball.

Baekhyun lightly sniffed it and it gave off strong scent of coconut. He scrapped a little piece off from the tiny ball and tasted it. It was sweet and just the tiny piece in his mouth felt like heaven. He was about to devour the whole thing when he heard a noise.

It seemed like it came from everywhere. Baekhyun looked around and he could see nothing. There was no sign of anyone whatsoever.

Then he heard the sound again and this time it was clearer. It was as if someone was scratching the dry ground with their nails.

“Hello?” Baekhyun called out. “Is anyone here?”

The scratching sound came again.

Baekhyun got up, trying to follow the noise. He stepped down a couple of paces from where he was sitting and searched the area.

“Hello?” he asked again.

The sound came back one more time. Baekhyun turned his head to the left and rushed towards what looked like a small low ground that was hidden by dry shrubs.

As Baekhyun approached near, he saw that there was a man lying face down on the dry ground with his palm stretched out as he rubbed his nails on the earth.

There were traces of dry blood on the tip of his fingers.

Baekhyun rushed to the man in a swoop and slowly tried to turn him around.

To Baekhyun’s horror, the man looked almost dead. His face was caved in and his lips were dry and chapped. It seemed like he had been lying there, starving for days.

“Mister” Baekhyun called out. “Wake up” he said when he saw the man give out a heavy breath that seemed like it was his last.

“Help” Baekhyun cried. “Someone help him” he yelled, hoping someone would hear him.

As Baekhyun screamed, suddenly the man’s head weakly cocked towards him.

“Wa…. Water” he said in a very weak voice that was barely audible.

Baekhyun nodded and placed the man back on the ground before running towards the bag he had set not too far away.

Once he brought the bag back, he pulled out a container that the old woman had used to put water in.

Baekhyun opened the lid and slowly tilted the man’s head up, allowing him a few slow sips so that his body could adjust to the sudden intake of water.

After the man seemed done, Baekhyun tried to make him sit but to no avail. The man was nearing his death.

Baekhyun looked around once again, for anymore sign of life but like last time, there was no one else there.

“Wait here” Baekhyun said. “I will go look for help”

He was about to get up when the man suddenly caught him by his wrist.

“P… please” he said. “Don’t… don’t leave me”

“I need to find help or you’ll die”

The man shook his head. “I… I’ll die if you l… leave me” he coughed lightly.

Baekhyun had never felt this lost in his life. Baekhyun knew he had to look for help but he also knew the man was right because Baekhyun did not know the area, he did not know by when he would be able to find help and bring the help to that poor man there.

“Water” the man wailed again and Baekhyun assisted him.

To Baekhyun’s surprise, the man seemed to have been gaining more and more energy with every sip of water that he took. Baekhyun blinked at him in astonishment.

By the time he had drunk half the container, he was able to hold it in both his hands in contrast to how he was hardly able to move them a few minutes ago.

As the man took his final sip, he gathered little but enough energy to sit on his own, with his back slump.

“How… how are you so…” Baekhyun asked, looking for a word that would be less offensive but nothing came to his mind. “… alive?”

The man looked at him and then at the water. “It’s the water… from the old woman’s… house down below, isn’t it?” his voice was still weak like it would break any minute.

Baekhyun nodded. Was this man a local too?

“The water has… rejuvenating properties.” The man said, taking heavy breath like speaking was draining all the energy he had just gained. “Haven’t you had a single sip yet?”

Baekhyun shook his head, at his own foolishment.

“Do you… perhaps have anything to eat?” the man asked and Baekhyun nodded, reaching out for the bag and giving it to the man.

The man stared at the assortment of food and then at Baekhyun. Baekhyun could see the staved desperation on his face clearly. “Can I take all of this?” the man asked pleadingly.

Baekhyun remembered how hungry he had been himself and how much he wanted to eat too but the man’s condition was far worse than his was. Baekhyun was sure he could go on but the man couldn’t.

“Yes” Baekhyun said without hesitation. “You can have all”

Baekhyun saw traces of happiness on the man’s face, even though he didn’t have enough energy in him to express it clearly.

Along with the food, he also placed the container of water next to him, considering how he would need water to keep himself dehydrated.

“I am sorry I can’t stay with you” Baekhyun said. “Will you be alright?”

The man looked up from the food and at Baekhyun with gratitude in his eyes.

“I will be okay” he said. “Thank you for what you just did”

Baekhyun smiled. “Don’t eat everything all at once. Your body has been deprived of food for long it seems. Eat small amounts for a prolonged period of time and don’t forget to drink water”

Baekhyun got up, ready to leave.

“Wait” the man said. “You’re going to find the Ancient Healer?”

Baekhyun nodded.

The man pushed the bag of food away. “You should take this. You will need it more. The journey is well over 24 hours and you can’t go on without food or water for that long”

Baekhyun kneeled down and brought the bag closer to the man.

“I haven’t needed it this far, I am sure I wouldn’t need it again. Your body will give out if you don’t eat”

“Maybe you can take half of it?”

Baekhyun shook his head. “You need to get your energy back and if we split the food, it won’t be sufficient for you. Now eat up, but slowly” he said, placing a hand on the man’s shoulder.

With those words he finally got up and got back on his journey towards the top of the mountain.

As the night approached, Baekhyun started wondering if he should have perhaps taken some amount of food from the man. He was starving like he had never starved and the feeling of empty nausea had taken over. Baekhyun also realized that he was severely dehydrated.

It was past midnight now and Baekhyun believed he had a couple more hours’ journey left but he wasn’t sure if he would make it anymore.

He took a few more steps but suddenly, his legs gave out and he fell on the ground with a thud. Things suddenly became blurry and Baekhyun close his eyes, knocked out of his senses.

A strong smell of incense hit Baekhyun before he opened his eyes.

 _Did I die?_ Baekhyun wondered and opened his eyes.

The first thing Baekhyun saw was a ceiling as tall his eyes could go. It was covered in all colors of gold and red and blue and green. The scene was mesmerizing. It reminded Baekhyun of the fresco up the Sisteen Chapel. Baekhyun had been there once and it was truly the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

His eyes inspected the fresco up close and it indeed was like ‘The Creation of Adam’ except, this one here had a little more gothic touch to it. Except for god on the right, there was a young man draped in while, smiling and on the left was a man draped in shreds of black and red, smiling back. The two seemed to be holding hands like they were age old friends.

For a second, the figure on the right reminded him of Chanyeol for some reason. The black and red combination stood out for what Baekhyun had read about him in the literature while the figure on the right, the one in white seemed like an angel.

Baekhyun wondered who had made such a beautiful depiction of whatever it was because it truly seemed like a Michelangelo kind of work.

“It is” a voice said and Baekhyun suddenly got up. His eyes fell on the source of the voice and then at the room he was in. The room was large, as large as a room that would hold such a magnificent ceiling.

“What?” Baekhyun asked after a while, remembering the man standing at the foot of the bed had said something earlier.

“The ceiling, it is indeed Michelangelo”

Baekhyun scoffed. “How is that even possible there is no mention of this work anywhere in the books?”

“Well it was more of a personal request” the man said as he sat down on the bed.

Baekhyun noticed how young this man was and how his face was glowing in pure glimmer, even in broad daylight.

Broad daylight?

It was night from what Baekhyun recollected from his last memory. How did he get here? Where was he exactly?

“Where am I?” Baekhyun asked. “Who are you?”

The man smiled. “You were looking for the Ancient Healer, weren’t you?”

Baekhyun nodded.

“Well now you found him” the man said.

“You… you’re the Ancient Healer?”

The man nodded and Baekhyun laughed again.

“Yeah right” he said.

The man cocked an eyebrow. “Why do you think I am not the Healer?” he asked, amusedly. Many people had come to him in two millennia but this was the first person to have doubted him.

Baekhyun shrugged. “I don’t know, I guess I was expecting you to be more…”

“Old?” the man asked. But to his surprise, Baekhyun shook his head.

“More humble”

“Humble?”

Baekhyun nodded. “Humble”

This time it was the Ancient Healer who scoffed. “And what I might ask, made you believe I was not humble?”

“Take a look around” Baekhyun said, pointing his finger at everything. “The ceiling is lined in gold, the bed has silk sheets, the bed post is made of gold, even your utensils are gold. And who brags about getting a ceiling done by Michelangelo?”

“I wasn’t bragging you foolish boy. I was stating facts”

Baekhyun rolled his eyes at him. “Yeah” he said loudly. “Sure. Any more facts you got for me? Perhaps Shakespeare often came to this place to have casual dinner?”

“He did, once” the Healer said and Baekhyun gave him a ‘see-I-told-you-you-were-bragging’ look.

“Never mind” the ancient healer said. “It seemed like you’ve had a long journey. But you did seem to find me after all”

Baekhyun suddenly realized why he was so cranky. He was hungry and his mood reflected in what he spoke.

“Sorry I didn’t mean to be rude” Baekhyun suddenly apologized.

“Don’t worry about it” the Ancient Healer said as he indicated Baekhyun to follow him.

When Baekhyun moved from one room to the other, his eyes couldn’t believe what he was looking at. Everything there was nothing short of breathtaking. The place was almost like a castle. No, it was a castle, only more royal so.

The Healer took Baekhyun out into the open garden where a lavish spread of food was waiting for him.

“This is for you” he said.

Baekhyun stared at what was in front of him. “All of this? Only for me?”

The Healer smiled at him. “It is not easy finding me. Think of this as a reward”

“What are you talking about?” Baekhyun asked. “It wasn’t difficult finding you. I honestly don’t know why many people can’t”

“Because not many people are you, Byun Baekhyun”

Baekhyun did not understand what the Ancient Healer just said but he was more hung up on something else. “You… you know my name?”

The Ancient Healer shrugged. “Being the Ancient Healer comes with perks” he winked at Baekhyun.

“Now eat” he said, leading Baekhyun to the table. “Come find me in the reading room when you’re done”

Half an hour later, Baekhyun found himself in the Ancient Healer’s reading room. To say it was a reading room, was actually an understatement. It was bigger than any library Baekhyun had ever seen. And it seemed like the place contained every book every written in human history.

“This place is…” Baekhyun began but was cut short.

“Just so you know, I am not bragging” the Ancient Healer teased and Baekhyun scowled.

“I was going to say brilliant but I take that back now”

Baekhyun walked across the shelves, tracing his hands through the bindings.

They were all set according to fields of study, genre and in alphabetical order.

It was evident the Ancient Healer used his blood and sweat to build this place.

“So” the Healer said. “Will you tell me why you’re here?”

Baekhyun turned around and pursed his lips. “Can’t you tell, considering how you’re the Ancient Healer?”

Baekhyun air quoted the last two words and it made the Healer laugh.

“Was the food perhaps not of your taste? You still seem cranky”

“Oh my god I am so sorry” Baekhyun immediately replied. “It’s just that I am desperate to go back as soon as possible and I don’t know why I am acting like this, at all”

“Desperate to go back huh?”

Baekhyun nodded. “I came looking for you because I want you to heal my friend”

“Your friend?”

Baekhyun nodded again and walked over to where the Healer was sitting. Taking the seat opposite to the healer, Baekhyun began.

“You know who I am talking about right?”

The Healer smiled at him. “I can’t know details of your or anyone’s personal life Baekhyun. There is a thing called privacy” he teased lightly.

“Okay” Baekhyun said. “That makes sense, perhaps”

Taking a deep breath, Baekhyun began. “A few days ago my friend was stuck at a place that was very bad. We managed to get him out but he got hurt on the way. He isn’t healing and if he is not helped, he might be dead soon”

The Ancient Healer heard him and indicated him to go on. “None of the medicines here are working and he usually heals faster but this time he is unable to recuperate. I really need your help or he will die”

“You need me to save his life?”

Baekhyun nodded.

“I will ask you only one question Baekhyun and your friend’s future depends on it. So think carefully before you speak”

“Okay”

“Why?” the Ancient Healer asked. “Why should I save your friend’s life like it is important, Baekhyun?”

Baekhyun looked at him in surprise. He was not expecting this question. Why was Chanyeol’s life so important? Wasn’t he the Devil? Wouldn’t getting rid of him solve all major problems for Baekhyun? So why was it that his life was so important?

“Why not?” Baekhyun suddenly asked back, taking the Ancient Healer by surprise. “Why do you think his life isn’t important?”

Baekhyun was expecting the Healer to be mad, perhaps disappointed that he was being talked back at but instead, he smiled.

“Answer me Baekhyun”

“You answer me first and I will tell you why his life matters”

“Very well” the Ancient Healer began. “From what I hear, you friend is already too far gone. The amount of life force that will be needed to save him, can save ten other people instead. Don’t you think the math answers the question? Now tell me Baekhyun, why does he deserve to live while the other 10 don’t?”

Baekhyun thought about the question for a moment. Saving ten people instead of one? The Ancient Healer had said it was simple math. But this wasn’t math. This was rationality.

He saw the Ancient Healer raise an eyebrow, waiting for Baekhyun to answer.

“Because he is real”

The Ancient Healer although perplexed by Baekhyun’s answer, was also very impressed. There had been a few in the past who had been faced with the same question. Each of those times, the answers were why their loved one deserved saving, how they needed a second chance, how they would become better people, and how they mattered more to them as opposed to the ten people they didn’t even know.

This was the first time he had heard a proper answer to a riddle he had thrown out.

“Explain” the Healer asked, indulging himself in this wonder called Byun Baekhyun.

“My friend is a real person who needs help immediately, as opposed to the ten people you hypothesized me with”

The Healer smiled again. Baekhyun was really amusing.

“What would you have chosen if the ten people were real?”

Baekhyun got up and shook his head.

“Only one question, remember?”

The Ancient Healer couldn’t help but laugh at how easily he had been outsmarted by Baekhyun.

“You are something else, you know that?” he asked but Baekhyun simply laid his hand out.

“Please give me the cure now”

“Al right” the Healer said and placed his hand on Baekhyun’s palm.

In the very next moment, a ray of light flashed from the Healer’s palm and Baekhyun felt something warm on his hand.

When the Healer withdrew his hand, Baekhyun saw that there was what looked like a golden flower in his hand.

“What is this?” Baekhyun asked in confusion.

“This is a fruit from the Tree of Life that contains the Force of Life” the Ancient Healer said. “Give this to your friend and he will be fine in no time”

Baekhyun stared at the leaf and then at the Healer. “Thank you” he said with tears in his eyes. “Thank you so much”

This time, the Healer did not smile back.

“You need to be careful on your way back”

“What do you mean?”

“The journey up is fairly easy, the journey back down is full of temptation. You’ll meet things that will want to take the Force of Life from you. If you give up, you will lose your friend”

Baekhyun nodded and thanked the Ancient Healer once more before heading out, he would finally be going home. To his friends, to Chanyeol.

Baekhyun did not understand what the Healer had meant when he said that the journey back would be difficult. Going down was easier and quicker than it was climbing up and by nightfall, Baekhyun was not very far from the stream that lied in the middle of the mountain’s height.

It was only post midnight when Baekhyun encountered his first obstacle.

“Baekhyun” a very hoarse voice suddenly called out from a distance.

Baekhyun stopped on his tracks, petrified at the sudden call.

“Who… who is it?” he asked.

Baekhyun turned around but all he could see was darkness. It was a cloudy day and even the moon wasn’t visible.

“Baekhyun, what is it that you have with you?” the hoarse voice called out again. Baekhyun placed his hand over the pocket of his shirt, as if protecting the Force of Life.

“What do you want?” Baekhyun asked nervously. There was still no face to the voice and that perhaps, was the most terrifying thing about this event.

Suddenly the space above the ground became foggy. It was as if the temperature had dropped down several degrees.

As the intensity of the fog increased, Baekhyun found himself being covered in mist. But there was something strange about it. It was like his brain had stopped working. Was the mist doing something to him?

“I want what you have Baekhyun” the voice came back and this time, it was coming from straight head. Baekhyun stared into the thick fog and then suddenly, a pair of red eyes flashed at him.

Baekhyun felt a chill run down his spine as he stared into the eyes that seemed demonic. He was scared, he wanted to scream but for some reason, neither his legs moved, nor did he look away.

“I can give you something you’ve always wanted in exchange of what you carry with you” the voice continued. “I can give you happiness Baekhyun”

Baekhyun blinked. All his life all he ever wanted was to be happy. He wanted to live a life his mother would be proud of.

“Give me the Force of Life and I will fill your life with everything you desire. Power, money, luxury. I will let you have all of this Baekhyun, I will let you be happy. All you have to do is give me the Force of Life”

Baekhyun did not understand how his mind was working because in the very next moment, he found himself reaching out to his shirt’s pocket. Happiness? Could he really have it if he had unyielding power, money and luxury?

Suddenly Baekhyun’s mind wandered off to the old lady whom he had helped. Baekhyun remembered how happy he felt when he had safely taken the old woman to her home. How content he felt when she had given him warm food to eat and offered a place to stay in her small hut. That was happiness. That was the happiest Baekhyun had felt in a long time. To Baekhyun, happiness was about the little things, watching the stars come out at night, sleeping by the fireplace with a book in his hand, spending time with Kyungsoo and Suho in his old cramped room back in the school days. To Baekhyun, happiness was watching Chanyeol eat, it was watching him smile and be teased by Kyungsoo. That was what happiness meant to him.

“No” Baekhyun said, trying to stop himself.

This seemed to have agitated the creature that was trying to tempt Baekhyun.

“Give me the Force of Life Baekhyun. You can live your life the way you’ve always wanted to”

After some struggle, Baekhyun dropped his hand back down, far from his pocket.

“I don’t want any of those things” he said and with resolve, stepped into the mist, straight into the direction of the pair of eyes that had been staring at him.

The moment Baekhyun took his first step, the creature vanished after a round of long wail that pierced the night.

Taking a long breath, Baekhyun continued.

Walking for a few more minutes, Baekhyun was met with the strangeness of the earlier incident again. Same mist, same pair of eyes but this time, the voice was different. Baekhyun presumed it was a different creature than before. But this time, Baekhyun was prepared.

“What do you want?” Baekhyun sternly asked.

“The Force of Life” the creature said. “I will give you something in return that you have been yearning for all this while”

“Yearning for?” Baekhyun asked. “What is that?”

“I can bring your mother back, healthy and like she was before she died”

These words knocked the breath out of Baekhyun. Was it really possible to have his mother back? Like she was before? Baekhyun knew she had died too early and that Baekhyun had been robbed of all the time he wanted to spend with her because of her illness. He wanted to give her a comfortable life, a life she deserved. And this creature said that he could bring her back. That he could have his mother back. But at what cost?

_Chanyeol’s._

Just like that, Baekhyun knew his answer. His mother was dead. Was at peace. While Chanyeol was still alive and breathing. He would never trade one life for another.

“No” Baekhyun said. “I have found peace with my mother being gone. I hope she is happy wherever she is and that she is happy watching the man her son has become. I want her to rest in peace”

With these words, the creature vanished, just like the first one had did and Baekhyun continued.

After walking for around two more hours, when the day was about to break into dawn, Baekhyun found himself in the same misty atmosphere.

“Let me guess” Baekhyun said this time. “You want the Life Force?”

“Ye… yes” the creature called out, confused at what was happening.

“And I presume you have something to offer me?” Baekhyun asked casually.

“Um hm” the creature replied.

“Okay, let’s hear it, what do you have? What could you possibly have that would make me want to trade the Fore of Life with you?”

“A guarantee of true love”

Baekhyun had prepared an argument thinking how this could be about his own life perhaps, something he valued dearly but what the creature offered, was not what he had expected.

“True love?” Baekhyun asked.

“Yes.” The creature said. “I can give you a chance to spend your entire life loving the one you desire the most and getting their love in return. You will never be alone or lonely Baekhyun. You will live a very long, loving life with your partner and they will be everything you ever wanted”

“Love?” Baekhyun said softly. He had never even thought that love was something he would consider so highly. As far as he had observed, the creatures offered him with what he needed the most in life. And if that was truly the case, did it mean that despite running away from the idea of love, this was exactly what his heart had been yearning for all this time?

“You will get a guaranteed life where you will live with your partner in a blissful love”

“Partner?” Baekhyun asked. He wondered what the creature meant.

“Yes Baekhyun. Your partner, your soulmate”

 _Soulmate_. Baekhyun hung to that word like his life depended on it. He had never believed in soulmates. Was it really possible that he too had a true love in his life?

“Give me the Force of Life and I will give you a life with the one you’re supposed to be with”

_The one you’re supposed to be with?_

“What do you choose Baekhyun? The Force of Life or a miraculous shot at true love?”

Baekhyun, for a split second looked at the flower in his pocket. He was getting a chance to find his true love. He wondered who it could be. Was it Kai? Was he Baekhyun’s soulmate?

He would get a chance to love and be loved if only he gave the Force of Life to the creature. Wasn’t love more important than anything in the world? But was it more important that someone’s life? Chanyeol’s to be precise?

“Chanyeol” Baekhyun said out loud. “I choose Chanyeol”

The moment he said those words, the mist suddenly cleared, removing every trace of the creature that had just been there.

And suddenly, Baekhyun found himself staring at the Ancient Healer.

“What did you just say?” the Healer asked, holding Baekhyun by his arms.

“Huh?” Baekhyun asked in confusion. “I said I choose my friend”

“What name did you just say Baekhyun?”

“Chanyeol, why?”

Before Baekhyun could get an answer, he found himself being grabbed by the Ancient healer and before he could even blink, they had disappeared from the mountain.

Baekhyun gasped for breath and he fell on the floor. When he rose up, he realized he was in Suho’s apartment.

Suho, Sehun and Kyungsoo were in the living room talking. Baekhyun turned his head to look at the Ancient Healer who simply took the flower from Baekhyun’s pocket and rushed into the room Chanyeol was in. Baekhyun rushed after him and tried to open the door but the Ancient Healer locked it faster than Baekhyun could reach.

The loud banging of the door caught everyone’s attention.

“Baekhyun” all three of them stood up in surprise to see Baekhyun there.

“What… how… when did you get here?” Sehun asked.

“Just now” Baekhyun said.

“How?” Kyungsoo asked.

“The Ancient Healer brought me here”

“The Ancient Healer?” Sehun sounded dumbfounded. “You mean you found him?”

Baekhyun nodded.

“Where is he?” Suho asked.

“In there” Baekhyun pointed at the door of Chanyeol’s room, “Healing Chanyeol”

Both Suho and Kyungsoo rushed towards Baekhyun and caught him in an embrace.

“You’ve lost so much weight” Suho said, almost teary eyed.

Kyungsoo rushed over to the kitchen to get water for Baekhyun as they all took a seat on the couch.

“What happened over there?” Kyungsoo asked, in concern.

“Why didn’t you call for me Baekhyun?” Sehun asked.

“I was still in the mountain when I was zapped by the healer”

Sehun formed his lips into a thin line. “I didn’t know he made house calls”

“You didn’t even know if he existed Sehun” Baekhyun mocked and they laughed.

It was so good to be back among these people that Baekhyun loved and had grown to love. This, right here, sitting on the couch and laughing at something stupid was Baekhyun’s idea of happiness.

In the next few minutes, while the Ancient Healer tended to Chanyeol, Baekhyun recalled everything that had happened on the mountain. When he was done, neither could believe the reality of the situation.

Just then, the door to Chanyeol’s room opened and the Ancient Healer stepped out.

“He will be fine now” the Healer said, looking at the four people sitting in the living area. “I’ve healed hi…. Sehun?” the Healer said instead of finishing what he had intended to say earlier.

Sehun stood up at his name being called out and stared at the Ancient Healer like he had seen a ghost.

“Yixing?” Sehun asked in surprise. “You’re the Ancient Healer?”

The Healer approached him with a smile. “I didn’t really believe it was Chanyeol when I heard his name so I had to come here to check it out myself. What are you two doing on earth?”

Sehun walked to him and hugged him warmly. “Believe it or not” Sehun said, looking at Baekhyun. “This one summoned him”

“Really?” Yixing asked in astonishment. “You really are something else, aren’t you Baekhyun?”

“Hold up” Baekhyun suddenly said, after witnessing the warm reunion these two seemed to share. “You two know each other?”

Sehun smiled at him. “Yixing” he said, holding the Healer by the shoulder, “is an angel”

“He’s a what now?” Kyungsoo asked in surprise.

“An angel, from heaven” Sehun said and Yixing blushed.

“What have you been doing on earth then?” Kyungsoo asked. “Being the Ancient Healer and what not?”

“Heaven is…” Yixing said with mischief in his voice, “… boring. Earth is fun”

“That’s it? That’s your reason?” Kyungsoo asked and Yixing nodded. Baekhyun stared at the Healer and Sehun, absorbing this information. So far he had come across the Devil, Demons, Leviathans, some weird creatures he’d met at the mountain and now he was in personal terms with an angel. An actual angel.

Baekhyun simply stood up and walked away from them. He could not deal with this anymore.

“Where are you going?” Kyungsoo asked behind him.

“To sleep” was the only answer he gave before he walked into Suho’s room and crashed on the bed.

Kyungsoo asked a couple more question when Yixing’s eyes suddenly fell on Suho who had been constantly staring at him since he first came out of Chanyeol’s room.

Suho blushed at the sudden eyes contact. “Hi” he said, in a hazy voice. “I am Suho” he extended his hand out for Yixing to take.

“Hello” Yixing replied, taking Suho’s hand in his own. “I am…”

“Very handsome” Suho said, interrupting Yixing which made the angel blush too.

Sehun noticed that and immediately slapped Suho’s hand away from Yixing, giving Suho a very weird look.

Yixing laughed and Suho seemed more smitten by him.

“Stop smiling” Sehun hissed and Yixing drew his lips to a straight line.

“Oh” Suho said, suddenly looking at the small dimple on Yixing’s cheek.

“Stop doing that, will you?” Sehun hissed at Yixing again.

“What?” the angel asked in confusion.

“Everything” Sehun growled before he dragged Suho by his arms and took him to his room.

When he entered, Baekhyun was already asleep, snoring as loud as he could.

“Go to sleep” Sehun ordered but Suho scowled.

“Why?” he asked.

“Because I said so”

Suho clenched his jaw. “What is your problem man?” Suho asked straight out. “Yixing is cute, let me admire him”

“You will admire no one and just go to sleep” Sehun said before he dragged Suho to the bed and ordered him to go to sleep immediately.

Suho shook his head but he knew he wouldn’t win against Sehun.

“Fine” he said, still irritated by Sehun, but he was tired and sleep sounded good.

Once Sehun had made sure Suho was tucked in, he went out to talk to Yixing.

“Are you staying over?” Sehun asked.

Yixing shook his head. “I better get going. I’ll drop by tomorrow to check on Chanyeol. I also need to talk to Baekhyun”

“About what?” Sehun asked and Kyungsoo too turned his head towards the angel upon hearing Baekhyun’s name.

“You’ll find out soon” he said and got up. But before he was about to disappear from the place, he looked at Kyungsoo once.

“Don’t get too close to Kai or you’ll get hurt” he said and vanished, before Kyungsoo could ask anything about what he had just said.

Kyungsoo sank on the chair and pulled his phone out. Looking at the horrible things he had stumbled upon about Kai from his apartment. 


	13. Chapter 13

**_You’re the calm in chaos_ **   
**_You’re the silence in noise_ **   
**_If you look into my eyes_ **   
**_You’ll see the universe_ **   
**_Look closely, for you’ll see you._ **

Chanyeol woke up with a sudden gasp.

His vision was blurry but the daylight made it easier for him to analyze the room.

 _How long have I been here?_ He thought to himself.

When he tried to sit up straight, he was expecting a sharp pain on his shoulders and on his upper arm but it never came. He looked at his wounds frantically.

They were healed.

“How did this happen?” he exclaimed. He looked around as his vision cleared but there was no one else in the room.

“Sehun” Chanyeol said and on his command, the demon appeared in less than a second.

Staring at Chanyeol with a wave of relief washed on his face, Sehun stood there, unable to speak.

“Sehun what happened? How did I heal?”

The demon, overwhelmed with emotions, rushed to Chanyeol and hugged him.

“You’re awake. I can’t believe you’re awake” he cried.

The Devil was surprised at the sudden display of raw emotions. Sehun never did what he had just done. Once Chanyeol joked that he was going to kill himself if no one let him make humanity dumber and Sehun waved him goodbye, asking what weapon forged in hell would he prefer for the propitious deed. Sehun finally gave up when he thought Chanyeol would really do something bad and had to give in to his request. Two days later, internet was invented.

“Yeah I am awake” Chanyeol exclaimed. “But how?”

Before Chanyeol could get an answer, Sehun got up and walked to the door.

“You can come in now” he said and Chanyeol wondered who he was talking to. Baekhyun?

As Chanyeol stared at the door, a figure draped in pure white robes and giving off luminous glow, entered the room.

“Yi… Yixing?” Chanyeol asked in absolute shock.

“Hello little brother” the angel said with a bright smile. “I see you’ve survived. Again”

Sehun left the room to give the two bothers some privacy to talk.

“What are you doing on earth Chanyeol?” Yixing asked he watched Sehun walk out.

Chanyeol sat up straight and rested his back on the bed post.

“I was summoned here. But the bigger question is, what are you doing here?”

“Your boyfriend got me here”

“Huh?” Chanyeol asked, thinking he was talking about the demon. “Sehun? He’s not my boyfriend Yixing he’s just my second in command”

The angel gave him a smug laugh. “I am talking about the tiny one. The one who came all the way to my place, 5000 kilometers away just to find a cure for you”

Chanyeol did not fully comprehend. “Wait, Baekhyun?” he asked. “He did what now?”

“Climbed the mountain for 3 days without food or water just to keep you alive. You owe him a big one, little bro”

Chanyeol could not believe what he was hearing. Baekhyun had done that? It was Baekhyun who had saved him? But why?

Deciding to talk to Baekhyun about it later, Chanyeol got back to his question. “Seriously though Yixing, what are you doing here? On earth?”

The angel shrugged. “Oh you know, living a low-key life and helping humans from time to time. Talking about humans…” Yixing continued. “… it was Baekhyun who summoned you, wasn’t it?”

Chanyeol nodded and Yixing mused at his confirmation.

“I really don’t get it” he said after a while. “What exactly is he?”

Chanyeol raised an eyebrow at his brother. “You don’t know either?”

This was a surprising revelation. Angels were usually good at telling one type of creature from the other and by now, it was pretty evident that Baekhyun was no ordinary human.

“He is just… out of this world” Yixing said. “In all the 2000 years that I have been on earth, I’ve never quite met someone like him”

Chanyeol suddenly smiled at that for reasons not clear to him.

“Tell me brother” Yixing said with a look of worried curiosity. “What can wound the Devil so fatally?”

“The leviathans” Chanyeol said in a low tone, earning a shocking glare from the angel.

“The leviathans? From purgatory?”

Chanyeol nodded and for the next few minutes, he told Yixing about being summoned and return from purgatory and how Baekhyun had killed those creatures with the flick of his hand.

Yixing looked more worried than before.

“Did he say something when he killed those leviathans?” the Angel asked hurriedly.

Chanyeol recalled the night and the look Baekhyun had on his face. He had never seen him that mad and enraged.

“Pereat” Chanyeol said, looking straight at Yixing.

Yixing pursed his lips. “It’s ancient Latin for ‘perish’” he said in a low voice. “No one uses Latin in today’s time except…”

“Except what?” Chanyeol asked. There was undeniable urgency in his voice.

“Except witches”

“Chanyeol” a voice interrupted Chanyeol before he could react. As the door flung open, in came Kyungsoo with a big tray of food. “I presumed you’d be hungry by now”

Chanyeol eyes drifted to the assortment of breakfast options Kyungsoo had brought him.

“Did you… did you make all of that for me?” the Devil asked, touched by the kind gesture.

“Huh?” Kyungsoo asked. “What? No you stupid fuck Suho ordered it. I am just bringing it over because, well he is busy on a call and Baekhyun is still sleeping and Sehun is nowhere to be found”

He kicked the door shut with his foot and walked over to place the tray on the bed. “There’s more because Suho kind of went overboard and ordered everything they had”

This made Yixing smile. “I see you’ve met nice people.” He said, looking at Chanyeol. “And I kind of understand why Baekhyun was able to seek me”

“Yeah about that” Kyungsoo said, walking over to the cabriole armchair by the bed, close to Yixing and took a seat. “As far as I’d heard, you are unapproachable. So how _did_ Baekhyun find you?”

Yixing picked up and piece of bagel from the tray and took a bite. “It was actually I who found him, like I find all those who come to find me”

“Ok” Kyungsoo said, “Now say that again like it’s not a riddle we’re trying to solve”

Yixing shook his head, laughing at Kyungsoo. “Everyone who seeks me is given two tests of desperation and selflessness before they can meet me”

“Wow” Kyungsoo exclaimed. “The tests must be really difficult”

Yixing shook his head. “They’re not. They are the easiest tests on human nature. One to check his sacrifice in times of desperation and the other to check his selflessness in times of need. Needless to say, Baekhyun passed.”

Yixing continued. “After people pass the tests, they have to answer my question honestly and logically. Most fail there too. But once in a while, I meet people like Baekhyun who answer with wit and truthfulness.” Yixing smiled. “And it is actually the final two tests that people can’t pass. Test to measure your strength by accepting the truth and the test to measure your willpower when given the temptation to have something you deeply want. Everyone most certainly fails in the final stage”

“Everyone?”

The angel nodded. “Only two people have passed so far, Baekhyun and…”

Before Yixing could continue, the door to Chanyeol’s room flung open again.

Baekhyun walked in, with shuffled hair and tiredness still drooping from his eyes. He looked at Chanyeol and then at Kyungsoo and Yixing.

But Baekhyun had already panicked slightly upon seeing Chanyeol in a woken state.

As if Baekhyun’s eyes spoke volumes, Yixing immediately got up. “We’ll give you two some space” he said walking to the door with Kyungsoo trailing just behind him.

Baekhyun turned towards the door and shut it after they left. With his hand still on the doorknob, Baekhyun breathed heavily as he tried to convince himself to turn around. To just take one turn and face Chanyeol, to see him and his bright smile.

For some reason, Baekhyun wasn’t able to muster the courage he needed. His mind was telling him to just walk out and he could simply avoid this entire encounter altogether. He and Chanyeol could talk with others around and it wouldn’t be this difficult. But why was it so difficult? It wasn’t that Baekhyun hadn’t talked to Chanyeol alone before. So what had changed?

Baekhyun shook his head lightly. He thought it was foolish to come and meet Chanyeol so desperately the moment he had woken up. His hand gripped the knob tighter than before, ready to twist it once and be gone.

He had convinced himself that right now, leaving was the best thing to do. He was feelings emotions he did not understand. He was not sure what he was going to say to Chanyeol. Maybe it was all too soon. Inhaling deeply, Baekhyun was about to open the door when suddenly his heart jumped.

Chanyeol stood just behind Baekhyun. He felt Chanyeol’s breath on his neck. He felt his hands wrapping him tightly and his body pressed against his back.

Chanyeol was hugging him.

And Baekhyun did not know what to do.

“Thank you” Chanyeol said, his warm breath trailing along the sides of Baekhyun’s neck and sending shivers down the latter’s spine.

Baekhyun closed his eyes, feeling Chanyeol’s words course through his veins. His heart started beating at uncontrollable speed. Chanyeol was making him dizzy and touch was making him go mad.

If he hadn’t held Baekhyun so firmly in his grasp, Baekhyun would have crumbled down to the floor at the touch.

It was only then that Baekhyun realized that he wasn’t breathing. Well not that he wasn’t, rather he found it difficult to.

“Chanyeol” Baekhyun muttered in a thin, breathless voice. “Too… tight… can’t breathe”

The Devil released Baekhyun immediately. “I am sorry” he said. “I didn’t mean to hurt you”

Baekhyun looked at him with an awkward smile. “You did not hurt me”

Chanyeol casually glanced at the spread of the breakfast on the bed and then raised an eyebrow at Baekhyun with a playful smirk.

Baekhyun noticed the colors of Chanyeol’s face were back and he looked very close to being his old cheerful self.

“Hungry?” Chanyeol asked.

Baekhyun nodded. “Famished”

Eating with Chanyeol seeped out all the awkwardness that had previously mounted between them. For some reason, Baekhyun loved how dedicated the Devil was towards food. But what surprised him more was that this morning, Chanyeol focused less on feeding himself and more on feeding Baekhyun.

“Here” Chanyeol said, handing out a donut.

Baekhyun shook his head. His face was stuffed and there was no room for him to be able to speak.

“You have to eat it Baekhyun, you’ve been starving for three days”

Baekhyun managed to quickly chew the last bits of food in his mouth and gulped it down before speaking.

“Chanyeol you’ve already fed me enough, my stomach will explode if I eat anymore”

“One donut won’t kill you. You need to eat for the three days you didn’t”

Baekhyun almost laughed at how silly Chanyeol was being.

“That’s not how it works. I can’t eat three days worth of food in one day. Besides I don’t want to be fat”

“A few extra pounds won’t do you any harm, you’re already so skinny. Didn’t you see how I almost crushed you just now?”

Baekhyun thought of the sudden hug Chanyeol has showered him with and for a second, he wondered what it would feel to hug him back. To have him so close to his heart.

“Didn’t Kai feed you at all while I was gone?”

Baekhyun blinked at what Chanyeol had just said. Kai. His fiancé. The fiancé he hadn’t even bothered telling where he had been for the past few days.

Baekhyun almost cursed himself at where his mind was going. Kai was the one Baekhyun was supposed to be with. Kai was the one he was supposed to get married to. And yet, Kai was the one whose thought hadn’t even crossed Baekhyun’s mind in the past few days.

 _What am I doing?_ Baekhyun asked himself. _What is wrong with me?_

Baekhyun knew whatever he did to Kai was wrong and that being so attached to Chanyeol was swaying him from his relationship. But for some reason, it only felt right. He wasn’t sure what he felt towards Chanyeol and why he had risked his life twice for him. He wasn’t sure why Chanyeol’s smile made his day and why his heart always skipped a beat when he saw Chanyeol.

But he was the Devil.

And Baekhyun knew whatever he was feeling, needed to be stopped immediately.

“I have to go” Baekhyun said hurriedly, ready to jump out of the bed. “I gotta get back to PreCorYun”

Just as Baekhyun was about to leap out, Chanyeol caught him by the arm and pulled him back on the bed. 

“Chanyeol” Baekhyun exclaimed. “What are you doing?”

“You’re not going anywhere. You’ll rest and eat and rest some more.”

“I have work to do Chanyeol I can’t rest”

Baekhyun jumped out of the bed but Chanyeol was still stuck to his wrist. “Let me go” Baekhyun said, trying to sound serious but all he did was sound tired. He did not even have enough energy to argue, let alone free himself from the Devil.

Still holding his hand, Chanyeol called Suho and Kyungsoo’s name out loud.

“Chanyeol!” Baekhyun exclaimed, twisting his hand to free himself before his friends came in but to no avail. Chanyeol was still latching on to him when Suho and Kyungsoo entered. Along with Yixing and Sehun.

Baekhyun lowered his head and pursed his lips in embarrassment.

“What…?” Kyungsoo asked and then his eyes fell on Chanyeol, holding Baekhyun. “… is happening here?” he asked with widened eyes.

“Kyungsoo, as a friend, do you think Baekhyun is ready to go back to work?”

“Huh?” Kyungsoo looked at him in confusion.

“Is he?” Chanyeol asked.

“Um… sur…” he began but then noticed Baekhyun nodding while Chanyeol shaking his head. “Surely not. He needs to rest”

Kyungsoo noticed how Baekhyun gave him a death stare but he ignored it.

Chanyeol then turned to Suho.

“And as a doctor, do you think he is ready to start working again?”

Suho smiled at him and shook his head. “Definitely not. In my professional opinion, I would give him a few days off”

Chanyeol nodded in satisfactory approval.

“And as the ancient healer…” Yixing began but Chanyeol cut him off.

“No one asked you” he said. “Now get out, Baekhyun has to rest”

Baekhyun stood there, mortified. In less than a few minutes, his friends had completely betrayed him.

“See?” Chanyeol asked in gleeful amusement over this small win. “You are not going to work” he said after everyone else had left the room.

Baekhyun sighed. He guessed there really was no way to win against the Devil.

Chanyeol quickly let him go and got up.

“Sleep here I’ll clear the bed” he said as he picked up the tray and walked out of the room.

Chanyeol came back in less than a minute. Baekhyun was still standing by the bed, unmoved.

The Devil looked at Baekhyun and sighed. “Do I have to tuck you in?”

“Huh?” Baekhyun asked, back from wherever his thought had taken him.

“What were you thinking about?” Chanyeol asked.

“Nothing” Baekhyun replied hastily before he walked towards Chanyeol who was standing by the door. “I should sleep in my room”

Chanyeol caught him once more but this time, dragged him by his arm from the door to the bed before gently pushing him on to it.

“You’re sleeping here where I can see you”

“Why?” Baekhyun asked, a little confused by Chanyeol’s behavior.

“Don’t I know you’ll run to PreCorYun the moment you walk out that door? Uh hu” Chanyeol said, shaking his head. “You’re either sleeping here or I’m going to hold you tight till you do”

“No” Baekhyun immediately retorted, unsure of how he’ll react of Chanyeol held him again. “I’ll sleep. I’ll sleep here”

“Good” Chanyeol said, walking towards the cabriole armchair to sit.

“What are you doing?” Baekhyun asked as he watched Chanyeol adjust himself on the chair.

“I’m tired too so I’ll just sleep here. You take the bed”

“Are you kidding me?” Baekhyun asked in shock. “Do you really think I will let you sleep there?”

“Huh? Do you want me to leave the room?” Chanyeol asked, getting up from the chair, ready to leave. He knew Baekhyun wouldn’t be comfortable around him, especially after the time he tried to kiss him the last time they were on the same bed. Chanyeol walked towards the door. “I’ll just go outside then.”

“Chanyeol” Baekhyun called out in a low voice and the Devil turned around.

Baekhyun was not mad or angry. Chanyeol was surprised to see that he was, in fact, smiling a little.

“I meant that I won’t let you sleep on the chair while I sleep comfortably on the bed”

“It’s fine” Chanyeol said. “You don’t have to feel burdened. I’ll just take the couch in the hall”

“Chanyeol” Baekhyun said again, looking at him straight in the eye. Only he knew the courage he was building inside of him to say the next few words. “Do you really not get what I am trying to say?”

The Devil started at Baekhyun in dumbfounded confusion and shook his head, pouting is lower lip out.

“I am saying you can sleep on the bed too”

“Where are you off to?” Suho asked Kyungsoo who was just about to leave. Yixing had gone back to his place and Sehun had said he had some errands to run in hell so he was off too.

“I have to go to Kai’s apartment. He has afternoon lectures today so the place will be empty” Kyungsoo said.

“This is the second time Kyungsoo. You’ve already been there once.” Suho said worriedly. “Why do you have to go back?”

Kyungsoo remembered he hadn’t told anyone about what he had found in Kai’s apartment.

“I have to check something. It won’t take long” Kyungsoo replied, assuring Suho.

“I still can’t believe it was his student who was killed” Suho said with remorse. “Do you really think Kai has something to do with it?”

Kyungsoo knew that saying anything without concrete proof would be disastrous. He had found a few books of spells and a shelf full of preserved dead animal parts in his study room. He had collected specimens of snakes, lizards, scorpions, spiders and everything that Kyungsoo hated. He was horrified when he came across that collection but none of that linked Kai to the murder.

“Don’t worry. I don’t think he is that evil” Kyungsoo said, praying for his words to come true and praying that he wouldn’t find anything else in his apartment.

Suho nodded. “I’ll see you at Baekhyun’s place tonight then”

“Huh?” Kyungsoo asked. “Not here?”

“Baekhyun insisted on going back after he woke up. He thinks Chanyeol would be more comfortable there”

Kyungsoo rubbed is chin in thoughtfulness. “Don’t you think they care for each other more than they should? Baekhyun, I understand, but Chanyeol? He’s the Devil. And for the Devil, he cares too much for humans ”

Suho laughed. “Chanyeol only cares about Baekhyun, Soo. He’d throw you under the bus the first chance he gets”

“Somehow I don’t believe that” Kyungsoo said. “I think Chanyeol cares for each one of us. And I think we care about him too. Not to the point that Baekhyun does, but we still do” Kyungsoo said, picking up his bag, and turning to Suho, only to find him staring at him with gaped mouth.

“What?” Kyungsoo asked.

“I… I think that’s the most human thing you’ve ever said” Suho half cried, trying to walked towards Kyungsoo with his arms stretched for a hug.

Kyungsoo held his hand out to stop him. “I have a knife in my bag Suho. How’d you like to perform a surgery on yourself to save your life huh?”

Suho retracted his hand immediately. “My bad” he said instead.

Baekhyun and Chanyeol were lying on the bed, with their backs to each other. The only noises that could be heard were of them breathing heavily.

They had been lying still for over an hour and neither of them had slept or spoken a word.

The heavy silence was finally broken after a few minutes.

“Chanyeol?” Baekhyun asked, not turning around to face the Devil.

“Hmm?” Chanyeol asked lazily, still facing away from Baekhyun.

“Is the Ancient Healer really your brother?”

Chanyeol was silent for a few seconds. “He was” he finally said.

“Was? Isn’t he your family?”

“He isn’t anymore. He was once my brother. We were made together and we grew up together. But I had to abandon everyone when I fell from Heaven. Can’t have a family while I’m the Devil”

At those words, Baekhyun finally turned around, earning a flip from Chanyeol too.

Baekhyun stared at Chanyeol’s eyes that looked sad. It was obvious that he missed his brother.

“Did you never go back to Heaven after that?”

Chanyeol shook his head lightly. “I was banished. I couldn’t go back and my brothers couldn’t come see me down in hell.”

“Yixing seemed to miss you a lot” Baekhyun softly spoke.

Chanyeol averted his eyes from Baekhyun. “It seems that way because we’ve met after a very long time”

“Why would you say that?”

It seemed that Chanyeol was suddenly trying to fight his anger. He was trying to subdue his feelings that were becoming evident on his face. When he had met Yixing after all these years, he was overcome with happiness. But now as he was left with the memories of his past, he didn’t think he had forgiven Yixing quite yet.

“Do you know why I was banished to hell?” Chanyeol finally asked, venting his anger through his words.

Baekhyun did not understand what was happening. A few seconds ago Chanyeol was fine but now he seemed enraged.

Slowly, Baekhyun shook his head.

Chanyeol closed his eyes, feeling the bitterness of rage coursing thought his veins. His breathing mounted as he tried to keep himself calm. He couldn’t snap in front of Baekhyun. It would scare him. Chanyeol wanted to go back to his original form suddenly. This human body suit felt diseased. He was not meant for earth or heaven. He was meant for hell. And he felt like he deserved being sent there, even if it was a punishment.

Even though he was trying very hard to not remember his past, the events of the day when he fell from Heaven pierced his mind slowly. Chanyeol wanted to scream, wondering how much longer he would have to live with the memories. It had been millions of years and yet the day played out like it all happened yesterday.

If Chanyeol had a heart, it would break with all the pain that recalling that day brought back . The day he fell, the day he was betrayed, the day his family disowned him.

He thought he would explode with the anger built up inside of him when he suddenly felt a hand on the side of his face.

“Chanyeol” Baekhyun’s soft voice reached his ears.

The Devil opened his eyes and saw the pure glint of innocence that Baekhyun carried. Baekhyun’s hand on him made him feel at peace for some reason.

Just his name being called out by him, made Chanyeol feel like he belonged. Like he was no longer an outcast.

 _What are you?_ Chanyeol thought, tracing every inch of Baekhyun’s face with his eyes.

He had never seen Baekhyun so up-close. And for the first time, Chanyeol _noticed_ him.

His eyes fell on two tiny, almost invisible moles on the left of Baekhyun’s face. One, tiny dot rested right on the glabella. Another one, almost as invisible as this one, was to the left on the bridge of his nose. As Chanyeol’s eyes desperately searched for more, he saw a slightly bigger mole on Baekhyun’s right cheek. But the one that took his breath away was the one on the right, just above the corner of Baekhyun’s lips.

Chanyeol found himself fixated on it for some reason. Like he wanted to touch it, to feel it. Like that tiny dot just above Baekhyun’s lips was the most real thing the Devil had ever seen.

He wanted to kiss the corner of his lips, and the bridge of his nose and every inch of Baekhyun. He wanted to feel all of him, to consume him and let him consume all that Chanyeol was.

Chanyeol had never felt his desire burning as strong as it did now. Never had he wanted to hold someone in his arms like he wanted to hold Baekhyun. Chanyeol knew that under that tough exterior that Baekhyun put up, he was fragile on the inside. One wrong move, one unwanted touch would break in like a porcelain doll falling on the floor.

But Chanyeol wanted to protect him from that fall. He wanted to keep Baekhyun safe, away from people and things that would hurt him. When Baekhyun looked at him like he was now, Chanyeol felt that despite being heartless, the Devil could really come to love someone.

But could he?

Just as Chanyeol was questioning himself, he felt a sharp pang of pain right between his ribs cage.

He squirmed at the sudden agony. But just as the sharp pain had shot through him, it ended as abruptly, only lasting a few seconds.

“Chanyeol” Baekhyun cried. “Are you okay? Should I call Sehun?”

Chanyeol breathed out heavily, wondering what had just happened. He took Baekhyun’s hand in his and

Squeezed it lightly.

“I’m fine” he said, panting a little. “It’s nothing to worry about. I guess my body is still trying to flush out the last traces of purgatory”

Although the Devil never lied, he knew he had to make an exception this one time. If Chanyeol told Baekhyun what he had actually felt, he was afraid Baekhyun would run across the universe to find him a cure. And Chanyeol wasn’t even sure about the cause of the pain he had just felt, so telling Baekhyun was pointless.

But what remained with him in that moment was that despite the pain he had felt suddenly, he swore he had heard the beating of a heart. But whose?

A few moment later, when Chanyeol had calmed down and Baekhyun look relieved, Chanyeol suggested that Baekhyun should rest.

The Devil noticed that Baekhyun had come closer to him than before. It was probably when Chanyeol had cried out in pain and Baekhyun hadn’t even realized it yet.

Reminding himself of how bad he had screwed up the last time him and Baekhyun were this close, Chanyeol scooted back a little, giving Baekhyun enough space. Although all Chanyeol wanted was to be as close to Baekhyun as possible, he did not want to hurt him like he had done before. Things and relationships on earth were different. In Hell, everyone was free to have sex with everyone else. Relationships and engagements and promises of love didn’t exist in Hell. No one cared about the other. But here on earth, there were people who believed in loyalty and relationships. Chanyeol did not care about others but Baekhyun believed in those things and he would never break his trust again.

Just this thought made Chanyeol go back a little more, making sure of creating enough space between the two of them. Baekhyun looked at him oddly, trying to understand what he was doing but before he could ask anything, Chanyeol went just a little father. Father enough to fall off the edge of the bed.

“Ow” Chanyeol yelped which made Baekhyun give out a heavy chuckle.

“What are you doing?” Baekhyun asked, sitting up and laughing.

Chanyeol scowled at him which made him laugh even more.

“I was just giving you space” Chanyeol confessed.

“Come back to bed” Baekhyun said, shaking his head at Chanyeol silliness.

Chanyeol pulled himself up. “Okay but this time we actually go to sleep”

He walked over to the window and closed the blackout curtains shut and suddenly the room turned dark.

He walked over to the bed and quietly lied down, facing away from Baekhyun again, who for some reason would not let his eyes leave Chanyeol’s face.

“Chanyeol” Baekhyun said again and Chanyeol felt something rise in his chest. Whatever this feeling was, was completely alien to him and he was not sure what he was feeling.

“Go to sleep Baekhyun” Chanyeol replied sternly.

“Chanyeol” Baekhyun called out once more and Chanyeol finally sighed and turned around.

“What?”

“Are you still hurt?”

Baekhyun voice was low, almost a whisper and Chanyeol wanted to keep hearing it more and more.

He shook his head. “I am not”

Baekhyun was still looking straight at Chanyeol, trying to find answers to questions he didn’t even remember asking.

In the next moment, Baekhyun pressed his palm against Chanyeol chest, just between his ribcage, right where the pain had momentarily surfaced.

The Devil got lost in the feeling of Baekhyun against him. He did not even realize that he had shuddered at the touch.

“Do you really not have a heart?” Baekhyun asked. He did not know why he had asked that question but he really wanted to know the answer now that he had.

Chanyeol looked at him in wondrous awe. Without even realizing that he was doing it, Chanyeol lightly brushed off the hair from Baekhyun’s face that was covering his eyes.

He did not want anything to stop him from admiring those beautiful orbs.

“I don’t” Chanyeol said softly. “I mean I do, but it doesn’t work”

Baekhyun arched an eyebrow, as if waiting for Chanyeol to explain.

“I can’t have a heart and be the Devil” Chanyeol continued. “When I was banished from heaven, my heart was turned into stone. It’s there, but it’s dead. It doesn’t beat”

Chanyeol did not expect what happened next. Baekhyun withdrew his hand and suddenly inched closer, pressing the side of his face on Chanyeol’s chest, trying to hear his heart, to feel it.

Chanyeol instantly drew a breath. And he held it for some reason. Like releasing the gush of air would push Baekhyun away and he didn’t want Baekhyun to draw back.

Baekhyun stayed still, with his face glued to Chanyeol’s, un-beating, dead heart.

When he heard nothing for a few seconds, Baekhyun raised his head to face Chanyeol.

The distance between them had closed down to mere inches. Chanyeol could feel Baekhyun’s warm breath on his lips.

“How long?” Baekhyun asked. “How long have you been like this?”

Chanyeol blinked. His mind was numb and his senses failing. How was he not able to answer a question as simple as this?

He stayed silent for a few seconds, trying to make sense of the words Baekhyun had muttered. He tried to find reasoning among all the emotions that were running through him because of how close Baekhyun was to him.

Close enough to kiss and feel his lips on Chanyeol’s.

“It’s been millions of years” Chanyeol finally said, gripping the last shreds of rationality he could find within himself. Chanyeol stared at the boy who was driving him crazy without even realizing it.

“Will you promise me something?” Baekhyun asked.

Chanyeol nodded. He would give him the world if he asked for it.

“Will you not lie to me if you’re hurting or if there is something wrong?”

The Devil thought about the sudden pain he had felt a few minutes ago.

“If there is something serious or beyond me, I will tell you, I promise.”

Baekhyun smiled and all Chanyeol wanted to do was take him by his lips. But he knew he had to restrict himself.

Instead, he placed his hand on the side of Baekhyun’s face, cupping it lightly. He had half expected Baekhyun to move away or stop him but when he didn’t Chanyeol sighed in relief.

“Why do you care so much about me Baek?”

Baekhyun did not answer immediately. Chanyeol noticed that Baekhyun retracted to his original spot on the bed.

“We’re friends, aren’t we?”

“Friends?” Chanyeol asked. “Is that why you put yourself at risk, twice? Because we’re friends?”

He did not realize that he was almost yelling as he spoke those words. What Baekhyun had said frustrated him because to him, Baekhyun was not a friend and he knew Baekhyun did not think of him as friends either. So why was he lying?

_Kai._

Chanyeol remembered the man Baekhyun was engaged to.

“So you risked your life for me because I am your friend huh?” Chanyeol asked, his voice much lower than before.

“Chanyeol you’re here because of my mistake. Of course I had to do something to get you back. I called you here and as long as you’re on earth, you are my responsibility”

Chanyeol wanted to laugh at the absurdity of this. “I’m your responsibility? You went to purgatory because you’re responsible for me? You went to find my brother, without food, water and sleep for 3 days because you feel obligated towards me?”

As Chanyeol said each word, he felt something strange inside his chest, right were his heart should be. The pain from a few moments ago was resurfacing again.

“That’s not what I…” Baekhyun began but was cut off.

“Don’t bother” Chanyeol hissed. “I am sleeping outside”

With that, Chanyeol rushed out of the room, clutching his chest but still making sure Baekhyun didn’t notice the pain he was in.

Kyungsoo had managed to break into Kai’s apartment again. Well he did not call it breaking in because technically he found the spare keys under the mat so it was to a certain extent legal in his mind.

When he stepped in, the place was exactly the same. Nothing had been touched or moved and Kyungsoo wondered if Kai even lived here.

As he crossed the foyer and went into the living room, he saw the same old shelf of books that were full of binders on witchcraft.

“Seriously man, what is his obsession with witches?”

Ever since Jongdae had told him about Kai’s parents and his grandmother, Kyungsoo had grown more curious to know about him.

Kyungsoo’s eyes fell on the door to Kai’s study and he almost puked at the recollection of all the specimens Kai kept there.

He shook his head and decided to go to the bedroom this time. Checking his watch, he realized that he had less than 1 hour to search through and leave before Kai would be back.

Rushing himself into Kai’s room, the first thing Kyungsoo did was check under his bed. To his bad luck, there was nothing there. He then searched through his cupboard but found nothing fishy there either. For the next 20 minutes, Kyungsoo searched through every corner of the room and like the first two times, nothing out of the ordinary was found.

Kyungsoo was about to leave the room when he suddenly noticed a painting hanging on the wall beside the bed. Kyungsoo had studies arts and he knew a good painting from a bad one and what hung on the wall on Kai’s bedroom was something not fir to be called art.

If one had to choose only one painting for his room, wouldn’t he go for something more meaningful? Something that he connected to and related to? After all, it would be something one would stare at when inside the room. Unless, the painting served some other purpose?

Kyungsoo rushed over to the frame hanging on the wall. The painting looked less like a piece of art and more like a poster with oddly placed shapes.

He inspected the rim with caution, making sure there was no trigger that would alert Kai of his intrusion. When Kyungsoo found nothing, he lifted the frame slightly.

To his utter surprise, he found a safe embedded inside the wall. He pulled the painting away from its mount and slowly placed it on the floor.

Luck was truly on his side because to his delight, the safe was unlocked. Kyungsoo turned the small wheel to the right and it opened in less than a few seconds.

All it contained were some papers.

Kyungsoo took the papers out and placed them neatly on the bed.

He took his phone out and quickly snapped a few photos.

When he was done, he went through the pages one after the other.

The first one was a birth certificate. But the name written on it was “Kim Jong In”.

For some reason, Kyungsoo felt like he had heard that name before but he had no clue who this person was or why his birth certificate was in Kai’s safe.

Keeping that paper aside, Kyungsoo went through other papers. They were mostly certificates and graduation documents. He then saw a photo of what seemed like a teenager Kai with an old woman.

Kyungsoo flipped the photo and saw the word “Me with Grandma” written on the back.

Deciding to ask Jongdae about the photo later, Kyungsoo quickly checked the time and realized that he needed to be out of the apartment as soon as possible. He was about to keep everything back when his eyes suddenly fell on three pieces of folded paper.

When he opened the first two, Kyungsoo was struck with horror when he realized what they were.

The pages were printouts of photos. Specifically photos of the the weird book Baekhyun owned. And they were taken on Baekhyun’s kitchen counter. Kyungsoo would recognize the design of the marble on Baekhyun’s kitchen counter anywhere, considering how he had helped him choose it.

But what was Kai doing with these photos from the book?

Kyungsoo read the words on the first page. “Vocare Diabolus” Kyungsoo said out loud. He did not know what it meant so he quickly took his phone out and went on to a translation app.

His mind went numb when he saw the words “Summon the Devil” in the result. He quickly picked up the second page and translated the words “Domare Diabolus” and the result showed “Tame the Devil” in translation.

Kyungsoo couldn’t believe what he was looking at. Did Kai somehow know Chanyeol was the Devil and that Baekhyun had summoned him? But how?

The final paper that Kyungsoo held did not look like a print out. It seemed like it was old and rusty. He slowly opened it. When he read the words “Tenetur Diabolus” on it, he understood it had something to do with Chanyeol. Typing the words on the app again, he hoped for something that would not make Kai guilty, at least for Baekhyun’s sake. But all his hopes soon vanished with he read the translation that said “Bound the Devil”

Suddenly Sehun’s voice rang in his ears.

_“This spell, it was made to control the Devil, to tame him”_

Kai wanted to control Chanyeol?

Kyungsoo’s mind was running faster than he could process his thoughts. Was Kai the one doing all this? Was he the one who had killed Ethan?

_“But what the book doesn’t mention is that the spell needs nine human sacrifices in order to achieve this”_

Kyungsoo remembered these words. And then it made sense. Somehow, Kai was at the center of everything that was happening.

But Kyungsoo still did not understand why Kai wanted to control the Devil. The spell for taming him had a ritual of human sacrifices, but the book Baekhyun had, did not have any information about this. If Kyungsoo had to prove it was Kai who was behind this, he would need to find out the book that mentioned the ritual and he would have to prove that it belongs to Kai.

He tried to put pieces together.

Summoning was the first step, which had already been achieved. Kai then went on to try and tame the Devil. This meant the last page was his final goal.

Kyungsoo looked at the last paper he had found. Bound the Devil? What did that mean?

He wanted to search more, in hopes that he would find evidence that Kai was behind the murder of Ethan but he was running out of time and Kai would be back any minute. Keeping the pages back in order in the safe and hanging the painting back on the wall, Kyungsoo left the place exactly in the same condition that he had entered it in.

The moment Chanyeol shut the door of his room behind him, he collapsed on the floor.

“Sehun” he whispered before the pain engulfed him entirely.

The Demon appeared instantaneously. The moment he saw the Devil, he rushed to his aid.

“Chanyeol” Sehun said, “What’s wrong?”

“I… I don’t know” Chanyeol winced. “My chest hurts”

Sehun picked him up and was ready to take him back into the room when Chanyeol stopped him.

“No” he said. “Baekhyun’s inside. He can’t find out about this”

Sehun nodded and took Chanyeol to Suho’s room instead.

“Do you want me to call Yixing?” he asked after making sure Chanyeol was lying down properly.

“No, not yet. I think it will pass”

Just as the Devil has predicted, in a few seconds, the pain died down again.

When Chanyeol looked more comfortable than before, Sehun sat down next to him.

“What… happened?” Sehun asked after a few minutes. “Is it because of the wounds from purgatory?”

Chanyeol shook his head. “I don’t think so. This only lasts for a minute”

“It has happened before?”

Chanyeol curtly nodded. “Twice so far. Sehun I swear I heard something both the times”

Sehun cocked his head at the strangeness of this entire thing. “What did you hear?”

“The beating of a heart”

These words took the Demon by surprise. “Your heart?”

Chanyeol looked conflicted. “I don’t know yet but yeah, maybe it was my heart”

Sehun got up from the bed and paced wildly. “That’s impossible Chanyeol. Your heart did not _just_ stop. It was turned into a stone”

“I know Sehun. None of this is making sense anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

“Everything that has happened, cannot be just a coincidence”

Sehun suddenly stopped in his tracks and stared at Chanyeol with clear display of horror on his face.

“The curse of the Black Witch?”

Chanyeol nodded.

“But… that’s… that’s impossible”

“It’s not. You don’t know her like I did” Chanyeol said. “And if this is indeed her curse, it won’t end well”

Sehun looked worried by the second. “But she has no bloodline left. There has to be an heir to make the curse come to power. A witch to be exact”

Chanyeol was about to answer when he hard Baekhyun’s cry.

Immediately leaping out of bed, Chanyeol rushed over to the room where Baekhyun was sleeping.

When he opened the door, he found Baekhyun tossing in his sleep.

“Mum” Baekhyun cried, reaching his hand out. “Dad…”

“Baekhyun” Chanyeol said as he rushed over, Sehun just behind him.

“Is he okay?” Sehun asked.

Baekhyun was still asleep when Chanyeol held him in his arms.

“He’s just dreaming” Chanyeol told Sehun. “You can go. I’ll take care of him”

Sehun nodded, reluctant to leave either of them, but Chanyeol’s orders were something he followed blindly.

“Baekhyun wake up” Chanyeol said after Sehun vanished. “It’s okay, I’m here”

“Help” Baekhyun cried again, tears trickling down his face. “Save them please”

“Baekhyun” Chanyeol called his name again, shaking him a little to help him wake up. “It’s just a dream, wake up”

Baekhyun suddenly opened his eyes through all his muffled words and silent cries.

“Chanyeol?” he asked, holding the strong arms that held him.

Chanyeol stroked Baekhyun’s hair, pacifying him. “Yes it’s me. You’re okay”

Drawing himself away from Chanyeol, Baekhyun looked at the face that was staring at him with concern in his eyes. Chanyeol reached out and wiped away the last traces of tears from Baekhyun’s face.

Baekhyun was shaking. Whatever he saw, must have terrified him to the core.

Trying to calm him down, Chanyeol ran his hand on Baekhyun’s arm.

Baekhyun was too scared to even blink. He continued staring at Chanyeol like even momentarily closing his eyes would make Chanyeol disappear.

When Chanyeol saw Baekhyun consumed by the remnants of his nightmare, he instinctively pulled Baekhyun closer, circling him in a hug.

Even though Baekhyun tried to resist for a few seconds, Chanyeol held him firmly, knowing that Baekhyun needed to be comforted more than being sympathized.

In less than a minute, Baekhyun was calmed down and rested lightly against Chanyeol’s heavy build.

“You should go back to sleep” Chanyeol suggested.

“No” Baekhyun immediately replied. “No the dreams will come back”

Chanyeol noticed how terrified Baekhyun was about what he had seen in his dreams but he also knew that Baekhyun needed to rest.

“I’ll be here” Chanyeol said softly.

He planted a kiss on Baekhyun’s head. “I’ll be right next to you. Don’t worry”

Baekhyun shook his head. “I don’t want to sleep. I want to go home”

Chanyeol, still stroking Baekhyun’s head, nodded softly. “I’ll ask Sehun to take you there”

The moment Baekhyun heard Chanyeol say that, he pushed himself away again.

“What do you mean?” Baekhyun asked.

Chanyeol looked at Baekhyun puffed, red eyes and all he wanted was to pull him back into his arms.

“Sehun will take you home Baekhyun”

“Do… do you want to stay here?” Baekhyun asked, a little disappointed at his words.

Chanyeol shrugged. “It’s not bad here. Plus… Plus I don’t want to be an obligation to you Baekhyun. Our bond is broken so I don’t have to keep bothering you anymore. You can live your life with your friends and…”

“And?”

“And Kai” Chanyeol whispered, unable to understand why saying his name was suddenly like poison running in his bloodstream, painful and fatal.

“Chanyeol” Baekhyun said, unexpectedly taking Chanyeol’s face in his hands. “You’re not a burden. I didn’t mean it that way when I said you’re my responsibility.”

“You’ve risked your life for me twice. I can’t let this happen anymore. I don’t know what else there is that is in store for me”

Baekhyun smiled slightly. “I don’t care Chanyeol. Whatever it is, we face it together”

Chanyeol looked at Baekhyun, unable to understand either of their feelings for each other. “Why? Because I am your friend”

Baekhyun shook his head. The colors of his cheeks were back and he looked more in control of his thoughts. “You’re more than that. You’re a part of my family now Chanyeol. You, Suho, Kyungsoo, even Sehun for that matter” Baekhyun laughed a little. “You’re all the only family I have”

The devil did not know what to respond. It had been so long since he’s been forsaken that he didn’t even know what having a family meant. Chanyeol pulled Baekhyun in a warm embrace again.

“You’re the only family I have too, Baek” he said softly, closing his eyes as a drop of tear rolled down his face.

The moment Chanyeol said those words to himself, he felt the pain in his chest again. And then he heard the beating of a heart.

But this time, he was sure that it was his own heart that had begun to show signs of life.

“Let’s go home” Baekhyun said, against his heart and Chanyeol nodded.

“I am home” Chanyeol softly whispered and smiled to himself, looking at the boy who had indeed, become his home in a way.


	14. Chapter 14

**_How can I go anywhere else_ **   
**_When it’s with you that I feel peace_ **   
**_How can I be with someone else_ **   
**_When it’s with you that I feel love_ **   
**_You are what makes my world spin_ **

Things had pretty much gone back to normal and it baffled Baekhyun how having the Devil in his home was what constituted of normal in his life these days.

The night Chanyeol returned to Baekhyun’s place, Baekhyun and Chanyeol had Suho, Kyungsoo and Sehun over for dinner and it felt like the old times had returned again. The night was full of reckless drinking and just having fun. The next morning, Suho and Kyungsoo returned to their homes while Sehun insisted on checking Hell to make sure everything was running smoothly under Chanyeol’s absence.

It was only later than Baekhyun realized that ‘running smoothly’ meant endlessly torturing souls.

Upon Chanyeol’s insistence, Baekhyun had decided to take a week off from work and be at home, considering how weak his three day trip to the remote mountain had left him.

Even though Baekhyun didn’t want to agree, he did because for some reason, he just couldn’t say no to Chanyeol.

So Baekhyun decided to Netflix and Chill the entire day. With Chanyeol. Sitting next to him on the couch.

“What do you want to watch?” Baekhyun asked. “Please don’t say Masterchef Australia”

Chanyeol scrunched his nose at him. “But it’s such as good show.” Chanyeol picked Baekhyun’s phone from the couch and unlocked it without even asking his permission like it was a daily thing they shared.

“How about we watch…” Chanyeol began, looking at the screen of the phone, “… Masterchef US?”

Baekhyun snatched his phone back and locked it. “We are not watching Masterchef any country.”

Chanyeol made a puppy face and Baekhyun thought he would have to give in. “Fine. You can watch Masterchef…” he said and Chanyeol’s eyes lit up. “… and I’ll just go to work”

With that, Baekhyun got up, ready to leave.

Chanyeol immediately held Baekhyun by the wrist and pulled him back on the couch. “You’re not going anywhere” Chanyeol said, leaning in.

Baekhyun tilted his head at Chanyeol and lightly headbutted him. “Then we watch something else”

After browsing through the content for over half an hour, Baekhyun finally found something that would be interesting.

“Chanyeol?” Baekhyun said and the Devil looked at him from the game he was playing on Baekhyun’s phone.

For a second, Baekhyun forgot what he was supposed to ask. Chanyeol was staring at him, eyebrows raise, lips pursed and the dent on his cheeks exposed. He looked so cute that all Baekhyun wanted to do was keep staring.

“Hmm?” Chanyeol asked.

Baekhyun cleared his throat and shook his head. “Do you want to see Lucifer?”

“I saw myself in the mirror this morning Baek”

Baekhyun tried not to laugh.

“No you idiot” he began. “I am talking about the show Lucifer”

Chanyeol blinked. “There’s… there’s a show called Luficer?”

Baekhyun nodded happily.

“Is it based on me?”

“I guess.” Baekhyun said.

“Wow.” Chanyeol said. “You people are really obsessed with me, aren’t you?”

Baekhyun playfully smacked his hand across Chanyeol arm. “Do you want to watch it or not?”

“Yeah sure” Chanyeol said.

Satisfied with the choice, Baekhyun played the first episode on TV.

5 minutes into the show and Chanyeol was already jumping like an excited puppy. Every few minutes he would ask a question.

“Why does he have a British accent?”

Baekhyun shrugged. “Maybe he likes British people”

“Ooh can I have a bar like that?” Chanyeol asked.

“No” Baekhyun replied sternly.

“Ooh that detective is hot”

“Yes she is”

“Ooh can I have a gun?”

“No Chanyeol”

“Ooh can I have a car?”

“Can you even drive?”

“I drove you from work once when you were sick”

“And we all know what happened” Baekhyun said, recalling how his favorite Audi had been thrashed and dented all across.

“Can we also solve crimes?”

“You want to play detective now?” Baekhyun asked.

Chanyeol nodded enthusiastically. “Are there any recent crimes in the paper?” he asked and went on to grab the newspaper from the coffee table when Baekhyun suddenly remembered how the news was still full of the boy who had been murdered. He recalled how his blood was found on Chanyeol and a shiver ran down his spine.

Baekhyun reached out and snatched the paper from Chanyeol before he could open it. “No crime. Just normal things”

Sulking, Chanyeol got back to the show and this time, he engrossed himself into it.

Baekhyun noticed how Chanyeol fidgeted on the couch. First he was sitting still next to Baekhyun. Slowly he started leaning back until only his torso was lying on the couch and his legs spread out. He then popped himself up and hung his legs on the couch’s backrest, and watched the show with his head upside down.

“Can you stay still?” Baekhyun yelled when he couldn’t take it anymore and Chanyeol just got up and sat straight.

One episode turned into two and two into three with Chanyeol yelling ‘That’s accurate’ or ‘No that’s not how I do things’ or “I really don’t like this Devil’ or ‘Damn I love this Devil’ and Baekhyun couldn’t understand how someone could be so indecisive.

Chanyeol was restless. Sitting still and watching the show wasn’t really to his liking.

He tried to lean back again when he saw Baekhyun from the corner of his eyes, staring right back at him.

“Don’t you dare” Baekhyun threatened.

Chanyeol let out a wail. “Please Baek I can’t sit straight” he cried.

Baekhyun sighed. “Fine. I will let you choose one position. One only and you have to stay still in that very position until the show ends. So take your time and think how you want to rest. You move after that and I am turning the TV off”

Chanyeol closed his eyes, trying to think what position on the couch would make him most comfortable while Baekhyun got back to watching the show.

A few minutes later, Chanyeol popped his eyes open. Pulling a cushion from his side, he prodded it on Baekhyun’s lap and before Baekhyun could react or understand what Chanyeol was doing, he threw his head on Baekhyun’s lap, right on the cushion.

“What are you doing?” Baekhyun asked, looking down at Chanyeol on the sudden movement. His heart had begun pacing for some reason.

Chanyeol turned his head and looked at Baekhyun with a smile. “You asked me to find a position I’d find most comfortable; I find this most comfortable”

“I…” Baekhyun began, struggling with his words and emotions while trying to calm his heart down. “You… you can’t do this”

Chanyeol raised an eyebrow. “Why not”

“Because…” where were all the words when Baekhyun needed them? “… because you just… can’t”

Chanyeol did not react and turned back to watching Lucifer with Baekhyun’s eyes glued on him, leaving his brain a puddle of goo and his emotions a complete mess.

A few minutes passed and Baekhyun had lost all concentration on the show. His mind was only focused on Chanyeol and how close they were to each other. Suddenly he became too aware of his hand and where he should keep it. Baekhyun did not even remember where it had been a couple of minutes ago. At first, Baekhyun hovered his hand on Chanyeol’s arm but withdrew it, thinking it would be too much of a physical contact to keep it there. Then he decided to keep it on his chest but that felt too awkward. He then stretched it and rested it on the backrest of the couch but that was too uncomfortable.

Chanyeol seemed to notice Baekhyun’s struggle and without hesitation, he reached out for his hand.

Baekhyun’s heart jumped at the sudden contact but he had never prepared himself for what happened next.

Softly pulling his hand in front of him, Chanyeol placed Baekhyun’s arm on his neck so that his hand was comfortably kept on the cushion Chanyeol was sleeping on. And in the very next moment, Chanyeol held his palm and pulled it further, until Baekhyun’s hand was perfectly enclosing Chanyeol’s face, his palm, cupping Chanyeol’s cheek. Like he Baekhyun held a baby in his arms.

And before Baekhyun could breathe, Chanyeol stole his breath again, by tilting his head and placing a soft kiss on Baekhyun’s palm.

He froze. What was Chanyeol doing? And why did it make him feel so weak in his knees?

Chanyeol got back to watching the show like he had done nothing. Like he hadn’t just shot jolts of electricity through Baekhyun, making him quiver. Like he hadn’t just stolen his breath away and hadn’t completely shaken his world. Chanyeol got back to the show like he hadn’t awakened Baekhyun’s inner desires.

After much struggle, Baekhyun pulled his mind out of Chanyeol and finally began concentrating on the episode.

Soon, Chanyeol became hungry and they ordered food.

The next three days, were almost the same. Baekhyun and Chanyeol would pop themselves up in front of the TV, watch Lucifer back to back, order food and Chanyeol would casually place himself on Baekhyun’s lap like it was something they normally did.

And Baekhyun wasn’t sure how and when thing escalated but his hands went from caressing Chanyeol’s face to poking his cheeks to playing with his ears and finally running them through his messy, thick hair. And every time Baekhyun would run them deep enough, Chanyeol would close his eyes like it was the most wonderful feeling he had ever felt.

It was only on the fourth day that all hell broke loose, for Baekhyun.

By the fourth day, the two of them had already binged and finished watching all four seasons of Lucifer with Chanyeol complaining why the fifth season was the last one and wanted the show to continue till the end of time. To say that he loved the series, was a massive understatement.

Upon agreement, the duo decided to watch some movies for a change, to get over the long commitment to binging on Lucifer. Chanyeol agreed but decided to shower first.

As Baekhyun sat on the couch, waiting for Chanyeol to return from the shower, he checked up on Suho and Kyungsoo. Once he was done, his eyes fell on Kai’s name and the last time they spoke was before Baekhyun had gone to find Chanyeol a cure for his wounds.

He hesitantly ran his fingers over the name, wondering if he should call. Baekhyun’s eyes travelled to the stairs leading to the upper floor were Chanyeol was busy taking a bath.

He shook his head. Why was he thinking of Chanyeol? Disappointed by his own feelings, he pressed on the name and it began to ring.

“Baekhyun” Kai’s excited voice came from the other end.

“Hey” Baekhyun said, sounding less enthusiastic than he needed to be.

“When did you come back?”

“Today” Baekhyun lied and immediately cursed himself. Why did he lie?

“How was the trip?” Kai asked.

“It was good. I was busy mostly. Sorry I couldn’t inform earlier”

“It’s okay” Kai said. “I understand you’re busy”

Baekhyun closed his eyes at the way Kai’s words were breaking his heart. He had been so understanding while all Baekhyun did was ignore him.

“I am sorry Kai” was all Baekhyun could muster.

There was a long pause at the end of Kai’s line.

“I don’t need an apology Baek” Kai said softly. “I need you”

At this, Baekhyun felt a tear roll down his face. He knew what he was doing to Kai and he knew he shouldn’t, but Baekhyun also knew that he could never reciprocate the love Kai had for him. He knew Kai deserved someone better. Someone who would love him back. And even though Baekhyun had convinced himself that he would, in time, come to love Kai too, in his heart he knew that was a lie. And Kai did not deserve someone who lied to him.

“Can we meet tomorrow?” Baekhyun asked. “I have something important to tell you”

“Sure.” Kai said. “I’ll come by in the morning”

“No” Baekhyun said immediately. “I’ll come over to your place.”

It was only then that Baekhyun realized that he had never been to Kai’s place. They had known each other for quite some time now, and Kai was his fiancé, but he had never invited Baekhyun into his apartment.

“Why don’t we meet at our usual café?” Kai suggested instead and Baekhyun couldn’t help but wonder if Kai was hiding something.

“Okay” Baekhyun said and hung up.

He let his mind wander for a bit. Was he thinking too much?

The only way to confirm his suspicion was to talk to someone who had been keeping an eye on Kai. Unlocking his phone again, Baekhyun called Kyungsoo.

“Hmm?” Kyungsoo spoke into the phone.

“Soo, remember I asked you to keep an eye on Kai?”

“Yeah, I remember”

“Are you still doing it?”

“When I have time, yeah”

“Did you find anything new?”

There was a long pause. Kyungsoo had found out a lot about Kai in the past few days and he was borderline convinced that it was him who was responsible for the killing. He just didn’t have any proof yet.

“Baek” Kyungsoo began. “Do you know any Kim Jong In?”

Baekhyun thought about it. “I don’t think so. Why?”

“I found a birth certificate by that name in Kai’s apartment”

“Kyungsoo” Baekhyun screeched. “You broke into his apartment?”

“Well I found a key so it was not really a break in. Anyways, I found some weird things there, books on witchcraft…”

“What?” Baekhyun was baffled. “Witchcraft?”

“Um hmm, the books were old, much like your own. I found preserved insects in glass jars…”

Baekhyun felt like Kyungsoo was describing the house of a complete stranger. It was like he didn’t even know this Kai.

“Baek that’s not all”

“What else did you find?”

Kyungsoo struggled to find the right thing to say and Baekhyun knew he was trying to protect him, but he needed to know the truth.

“Just tell me Kyungsoo”

“I found photos of a few spells from your book”

“My book?” Baekhyun asked and suddenly remembered the Book of Necessities. “What spells?”

“The spells to summon, tame and bound the Devil”

For a second, Baekhyun thought like all his breath had been sucked out of his lungs. If Kai had these spells, then he knew, he must have known that Chanyeol was the Devil.

“Soo” Baekhyun began, his hand shaking and his voice cracking. “Is… Chanyeol in danger?”

Kyungsoo hesitated. Baekhyun still did not know about the nine sacrifices that were needed to bind the Devil, to control him and he wasn’t even sure if it was Kai who had been doing that.

“I don’t think so” Kyungsoo said. “I don’t think there is anything to worry about, yet”

“Yet?”

Kyungsoo sighed heavily. “I am working on something I am not sure about so I don’t want to say anything reckless, I just need a little more time”

“Kyungsoo tell me what it is”

“No Baek, not yet” Kyungsoo said. “Just trust me, okay? I will tell you when the time is right or when I have something solid”

Baekhyun knew Kai wouldn’t hide something from him unless it was absolutely necessary.

“Okay” Baekhyun finally let out. “Just be careful, okay?”

“I will.” Kyungsoo replied and hung up. 

Baekhyun placed the phone back on the table in front of him and his mind went back to what Kyungsoo had said he had found in Kai’s apartment.

“Witchcraft?” Baekhyun asked himself. “Does a thing like that exist?”

“Does a thing like what exist?” Chanyeol asked as he walked down the stair and when Baekhyun’s eyes fell on him, he forgot what speech was. He forgot the whole conversation with Kai and Kyungsoo and he even forgot that the world existed outside his own house.

Walking towards him in nothing but black shorts, was Chanyeol, his upper body bare, with a towel loosely hanging on his left shoulder while he ruffled his hair dry with his right hand.

Baekhyun stared at the perfect edges and cuts that Chanyeol’s body carried as a few drops of water trickled down the center of his chest, travelling all the way through his abs and ending at the finely tones abdomen.

The abdomen. Baekhyun’s eyes glued to the broad V cuts that started from both sides of Chanyeol’s waist, forming a V shape that was hidden behind his trousers.

Involuntarily, Baekhyun licked his lips, like he was dying of thirst.

He had seen Chanyeol bare many times before, heck, he was literally naked the first time he appeared, so how was it that Baekhyun had just begun noticing how fine his body was?

Baekhyun felt a sudden rush of heat inside of him, travelling all the way from his spine, ending somewhere south that he didn’t even want to acknowledge.

Like it had become a habit in the last three days, Chanyeol jumped on the couch before sliding a cushion on Baekhyun’s lap and threw his head on it, still massaging his hair lightly with the towel.

All Baekhyun could see was the bulges on Chanyeol’s arms, his collarbone, his shoulders, damn those were some broad shoulders, his fine chest and slowly, his eyes travelled back to Chanyeol’s abdomen.

Under the cushion, Baekhyun could the heat rising in his own body. He could feel his own breathing pace as his nether regions began experiencing slight changes.

“Does a thing like what exist, Baek?”

Chanyeol asked, turning his head towards Baekhyun and looking straight at his face.

“Hmm?” Baekhyun asked, tucking his lips under this teeth and coming back to the real world. “Thing like what?”

Although Baekhyun was glad Chanyeol had changed the topic so that he wouldn’t have to think about Chanyeol’s body anymore, it was really uncomfortable sitting like that because he practically had a massive hard on under the cushion. All he prayed was that Chanyeol wouldn’t feel it.

“You said something just now, wondering if something existed?”

“Oh” Baekhyun said, breathing in deeply and giving out a nervous laugh. “I was just thinking about something stupid”

“What was it?”

“Umm” Baekhyun said. “I was thinking if witchcraft existed”

Chanyeol suddenly became stiff. Slowly he turned his head towards the TV, leaving Baekhyun to wonder what had happened.

Before Baekhyun could say anything else, he felt Chanyeol’s hand on his wrist and he drew it in front of him and held it against his lips. At first Baekhyun thought Chanyeol would kiss his hand again, but that never happened.

Instead, Chanyeol held his hand firmly, close to his lips, unmoved.

After a while, he let go.

“Yes it does” he finally said.

“Huh?” Baekhyun asked, having forgotten that he had mused a question out loud.

“Witchcraft” Chanyeol said, in a very low voice. “It exists”

Even now, Chanyeol’s whole body was stiff, like he was scared to say those words out loud.

And it worried Baekhyun.

“How do you know, Chanyeol?” Baekhyun asked, softly placing his hand under Chanyeol’s face and turning him so that they could face each other.

As Chanyeol stared into Baekhyun’s eyes, the latter noticed the first hints of fear in the Devil’s eyes. Something he had never seen before.

He saw Chanyeol’s lips trembling slightly when Chanyeol grabbed his hand again. And only then Baekhyun understood that Chanyeol was holding on to his hand for support.

Smiling at him gently, Baekhyun released himself from Chanyeol’s grasp and softly ran his fingers across Chanyeol’s cheeks.

“You can tell me if you want” Baekhyun whispered.

Chanyeol did not avert his eyes, he kept them fixed on Baekhyun like looking at him was keeping him sane, was giving him the calm he needed.

And keeping his gaze fixed, Chanyeol began. “Someone… someone used it against me when I… when I was summoned to earth the last time.”

Chanyeol was almost trembling now. Like saying those words made him live that time all over again. But he continued. “And they… they used witchcraft to control me… and make me do horrible things”

At this, Chanyeol closed his eyes and Baekhyun’s heart ached to hold him. He saw a drop of tear fall down Chanyeol’s eyes and before he could control himself, he pulled Chanyeol close, caressing him softly.

Chanyeol hid his face under the comfort of Baekhyun’s chest as his hand went behind Baekhyun’s back, to hold him. And he held him tight.

Seeing Chanyeol so weak and vulnerable broke Baekhyun’s heart. As he ran his fingers through Chanyeol’s hair, Baekhyun felt his own tears falling down.

Who had hurt him so bad? Who could hurt the Devil so much that he was so scared? Baekhyun felt like he would end the world if it laid a finger on Chanyeol. And he did not understand where this sudden rage came from.

“I’ll protect you Chanyeol” Baekhyun said and he felt Chanyeol’s body go soft. Like Chanyeol believed his words. “I will always protect you”

They stayed like that, glued to each other for indefinite amount of time. No one cared how long it had been or how much longer they’d stay like that, so close.

After a while, Baekhyun heard Chanyeol mumble.

“Baekhyun” he said against Baekhyun’s hiding.

“Hmm?”

“I am hungry”

Baekhyun couldn’t help but laugh. If Chanyeol was hungry, it meant he was back to being his old self.

Immediately leaping out, Chanyeol sat on the couch, facing Baekhyun.

“What do you want to eat?” Baekhyun asked. He did not realize what he was doing but without any thought, Baekhyun reached out and brushed Chanyeol’s hair away from his eyes.

“Pizza” Chanyeol yelped, excitedly.

“Again?”

The Devil nodded.

Smiling, Baekhyun picked his phone up to order pizza and Chanyeol went back to lying on Baekhyun’s lap.

“Yes hello” Baekhyun said. I’d like to order a pizza please”

Chanyeol held his hands up and flashed all ten fingers.

Baekhyun laughed again. “I’d like to order 10 family sized pizzas please”

As Baekhyun placed the order, each with a different topping and combination of Chanyeol’s liking, which by now, he had become an expert of, Baekhyun unknowingly played with Chanyeol’s hair.

“You need a haircut” Baekhyun whispered, holding his phone away from his face as he pulled few strands of hair on Chanyeol’s head.

Chanyeol grabbed his hand immediately and placed it between it teeth, nibbling very lightly, making sure not to hurt Baekhyun.

They continued their playful banter until Baekhyun was done ordering.

“They’ll take a few more minutes than usual, considering the quantity of order” he announced once he hung up.

Chanyeol was still biting his hand softly.

“I can eat you till then” he teased and Baekhyun couldn’t help himself from blushing slightly.

He tried to pull his hand back but Chanyeol’s wouldn’t let go.

“Okay give me my hand back” Baekhyun finally announced and Chanyeol released him, sulking a little.

“Stop moping like a kid who was refused candy” Baekhyun said.

“You’re sweeter” Chanyeol replied, nonchalantly and Baekhyun’s heart skipped a bit.

Baekhyun knew he needed to control himself but Chanyeol lying there, bare and exposed, was only adding to his troubles.

“Get up and wear a t-shirt” Baekhyun said, commandingly.

“No” Chanyeol immediately replied.

“Chanyeol” Baekhyun said and just that was enough for Chanyeol to scowl and get up, reluctantly.

“Fine” he said as he got up from the couch and retreated upstairs to find himself something to wear.

With Chanyeol gone, Baekhyun placed a hand over his heart and ran it, up and down, trying to calm himself down.

What was Chanyeol thinking being so hot and cute at the same time?

Baekhyun cursed himself for almost giving into temptation. But Chanyeol looked so good, lying on his lap like that, could Baekhyun even blame himself?

“That’s right, it’s Chanyeol’s fault” Baekhyun whispered.

“What’s my fault?” Chanyeol asked hysterically as he rushed towards Baekhyun. “Did I do something? Did I hurt you?”

Holding Baekhyun’s hand in his, he inspected the area he had been nibbling on.

“Does it hurt?” he asked. He looked frantic, like he had actually hurt Baekhyun and looking him like that, moved Baekhyun’s heart, seeing how much he cared.

“Baek, are you hurt somewhere? Where did I hurt you?”

Baekhyun stared at Chanyeol in wonder and in awe. How could the Devil care for him so much?

“You did not hurt me Chanyeol” Baekhyun said softly, placing his hand on the side of Chanyeol’s face to assure him. “I am fine”

“You just said it’s my fault”

“That’s not what I meant”

“What did I do?”

Chanyeol eyes were curious and full of worry. And Baekhyun was already a lost cause when it came to him. He did not know what he felt for Chanyeol but he had made up his mind long back that he would break up with Kai the next day.

“Nothing” Baekhyun said, voice like a soft whisper. “You did nothing”

“Are you sure?”

In that moment, Chanyeol looked so innocent and so loveable that Baekhyun lost every inch of reasoning within himself.

“Come here” Baekhyun said before moving his hand from Chanyeol’s face to behind his neck and pulling him in for a sudden kiss.

Chanyeol’s eyes flew open at the sudden act. His mind went numb. It wasn’t him who had initiated the kiss. It was Baekhyun.

The moment he realized that, he felt a surge of electricity run through his body. With that, he closed his eyes and snaked his arms around Baekhyun’s waist before pulling him up on his lap.

Chanyeol had kissed many, many people before but no one came close to what Baekhyun made him feel. While Baekhyun’s body rubbed against his own and his tongue played inside his own maw, Chanyeol felt liberated, if not anything else.

Baekhyun straddled over Chanyeol, legs on opposite side of his waist as they crashed their lips against each other on the couch. Chanyeol’s hand travelled from Baekhyun’s butt to under his shirt as he glided his fingers across his lower back.

Suddenly, Baekhyun pulled away and Chanyeol wondered if he had done something to offend Baekhyun again.

Baekhyun looked at him, straight into his eyes.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Baekhyun asked.

“What do you mean?” Chanyeol asked back in confusion.

“Didn’t you like girls?”

Chanyeol cocked his head and raised an eyebrow at him. The fact that Baekhyun would bring this up, right here, right now, was not what Chanyeol had expected. But he was not the Devil if he did not have a comeback.

“Don’t you have a fiancé?” Chanyeol asked and Baekhyun’s mouth flung open.

“You’re a piece of shit, you know that?” Baekhyun asked.

“I do” Chanyeol said, “Can we go back to kissing now?”

Baekhyun closed his eyes and shook his head before breaking into a smile.

“I am not kissing you anymore” he said, trying to get up from over Chanyeol but before he could, Chanyeol held him by his waist and threw him on the couch before crawling on top of him.

Pinning Baekhyun’s hands over his head, Chanyeol leaned in, hovering his lips less than an inch over Baekhyun’s.

He reached down and placed a soft peck.

“Let’s see how long you can resist” Chanyeol whispered against Baekhyun’s lips and the latter felt a shiver run down his spine.

Chanyeol left another soft peck and this time, Baekhyun reached back but Chanyeol withdrew before he could.

Pulling one hand away from over Baekhyun’s head, Chanyeol reached down and slid it under his t-shirt. As his fingers explored the territory of Baekhyun’s body, Chanyeol couldn’t help but feel his own hardness growing against Baekhyun.

Baekhyun was struggling under Chanyeol’s touch. Each movement made him wild and each time Chanyeol’s lips came near his own, he felt his own resolve breaking.

“Get off me” Baekhyun suddenly said and Chanyeol stopped.

The last thing he wanted was to do something Baekhyun didn’t want and his sudden words made him worried. Chanyeol immediately got up.

“I am sorry…” he began, moving himself away from Baekhyun. “I didn’t mean to…”

But before he could complete his sentence, Baekhyun was back on his lap, straddling him.

“Shh” Baekhyun said, placing a finger on his lips. He then reached down to Chanyeol’s ears. “Stop torturing me and kiss me already”

That was all Chanyeol needed to hold Baekhyun firmly in his hands and crash his lips against his own. As they waltzed inside each other, they lost all track of their senses and time.

Reaching down, Baekhyun pulled Chanyeol’s t-shirt up over his head and threw it away, wondering why he had asked him to wear it in the first place. He then reached out to his own t-shirt and took it off. Baekhyun now sat on Chanyeol’s lap, as they were both half exposed.

As if Baekhyun was a drug Chanyeol needed to taste, he rushed to his neck and nibbled on the soft white skin. Baekhyun moaned in pleasure as he held Chanyeol by his broad shoulders, his head buried on his shoulder.

Chanyeol pushed Baekhyun away a little and began trailing his lips through every inch of his body.

The pleasure from Chanyeol touching him everywhere was insurmountable and Baekhyun was beginning to lose the strength in his knees. He held Chanyeol’s face up and planted another steaming kiss on his lips, sucking on to his lower lip a little.

Neither knew how much time had passed as they continued to kiss each other like there was no tomorrow.

Suddenly the doorbell rang.

Baekhyun did not move.

Then the doorbell rang again.

“Baek” Chanyeol said through the kiss. “There’s someone at the door”

“I don’t care” Baekhyun said, eyes closed and lips exploring the outline of Chanyeol’s lips.

“I think it’s the pizza” Chanyeol said.

Baekhyun continued to kiss him. “I don’t care Chanyeol.” Baekhyun was now leaving behind soft pecks.

“If… you… ignore… them… long… enough… they… go… away” he said, in between the pecks.

Chanyeol smiled, his lips still attacked to Baekhyun and the latter bit into the lower one slightly. “You need to pay him”

Placing a hand firmly on Baekhyun’s waist, Chanyeol pulled himself away from Baekhyun.

“Ugh” Baekhyun complained as he opened his eyes. “I hate you”

“Door” Chanyeol said. “Go”

The Devil had to admit, it was kind of fun to see Baekhyun act childish with Chanyeol telling him what to do, instead of the other way round.

Baekhyun withdrew himself from the couch and walked over to the door before grabbing his wallet from the foyer.

The moment he opened the door, he saw ten large boxes of pizza in front of him. Baekhyun took them all and placed them inside before going back to pay.

It was only when he saw the delivery guy checking him out, did he realize that he has no shirt on.

When Baekhyun paid, he saw the delivery guy was still standing there, unmoved.

“Can I help you with something else?” Baekhyun asked.

“Your number if you wish” the guy said with a smirk. “You’re damn hot”

The moment those words were spoken, Chanyeol rushed to the door with a speed he did not even know he could build.

Without any warning or sign, he turned Baekhyun and pulled him in for a long, steaming kiss. From the corner of his eyes, he saw the delivery guy sulk and leave.

Only then did he let Baekhyun go.

Once they pulled apart, Baekhyun realized that Chanyeol had left him completely breathless with the kiss. “What… what was that for?” Baekhyun asked, blushing suddenly

“Hmm?” Chanyeol asked back, feigning innocence as he closed the door and took Baekhyun by the hand before leading him inside. “Nothing”

Baekhyun couldn’t help but smile at Chanyeol. “Were you jealous?”

“What?” Chanyeol scoffed as they sat back on the couch, next to each other. “The Devil is never jealous”

“Are you sure?” Baekhyun couldn’t control his smile.

“Duh. Yes I am sure. What do I have to be jealous of?”

“Okay” Baekhyun said “I didn’t hear him start his car yet, I should just run out and give him my number, you know, just in case”

With that, Baekhyun got up and was about to turn towards the door when Chanyeol pulled him by his wrist and nudged him towards himself until Baekhyun sat on Chanyeol’s lap, with his back against the Devil’s chest.

“I have already planned the torture I am going to inflict on him when I see him hell” Chanyeol said, clasping Baekhyun in his arms, refusing to let go.

Baekhyun laughed and shook his head. “Okay let go of me now, I am hungry”

Chanyeol released Baekhyun as the latter pulled Chanyeol up and they walked to the dinner table to eat.

On his way, all Chanyeol could feel was something strangely familiar in his chest. There was no pain now, but he could feel the heart that had begun beating, ever so slightly.


	15. Chapter 15

_**The world is dark, deprived of light** _   
_**But your presence makes it a little brighter** _   
_**The roads are lonely, journeys unfulfilled** _   
_**But your smile becomes the gentle breeze** _   
_**That quenches the thirst of my soul** _

The morning came with a lot of worry and apprehensions. The dreams Baekhyun had been having for some time now, had somehow seeped into his subconscious again. When he woke up the next day, all he could think of was the faces of the people he hadn’t seen, but somehow felt he knew.

And for some reason, he knew his past would help him find the answers he was looking for.

The other thing that made him miserably anxious was that he was supposed to meet Kai in less than two hours.

Baekhyun knew he had acted on his instincts far too quick than he should have, but even then, he had no ounce of regret. Kissing Chanyeol was not something he would beat himself up for, neither did Chanyeol deserve to be treated unfairly because of something Baekhyun had initiated.

With this resolve in mind, Baekhyun left early the next morning to meet up with Kai. And he left while Chanyeol was still sleeping.

Driving all the way to the café, he pulled his car in front.

Kai was already there.

Baekhyun went in with a smile. He knew what he was going to do and he had no second thoughts about his decision.

“Hi babe” Kai said, getting up from his seat to try and kiss Baekhyun but the latter held back. Kai immediately noticed the apprehension.

“Is everything okay?”

Baekhyun nodded. “Everything is fine. I just… we just need to talk first”

As both took their seats, Baekhyun ordered a latte for himself while Kai went for iced latte.

“So, what do you want to talk about?” Kai asked.

Baekhyun thought he would be hesitant, that he would probably never be able to come clean but what he felt in that moment was the complete opposite of that.

“We should break up” Baekhyun immediately announced. And then he wondered if it was too upfront. But he had never been the one to beat around the bush. Everything was always as clear as ice with him and no matter how much he doubted Kai in that moment, he knew he had to be direct.

While driving over, Baekhyun had imagined many scenarios of how Kai would react to the breakup. Knowing him many months now, Baekhyun was sure Kai would ask for the reason or try to tell him that he was being stupid or probably throw his drink at him. And in that moment, Baekhyun was very thankful that he had ordered an iced latte instead of anything hot.

But the reaction that came, was not something he expected.

Kai calmly sipped his drink. “Okay” he said.

Baekhyun blinked at him, unsure if the person sitting in front of him was the same Kai he had known all this while. But then Kyungsoo had revealed some very strange facts about him and it make Baekhyun wonder if he did actually know this person anymore.

Baekhyun pulled his engagement ring out of his pocket and put it on the table.

“I am sorry” he said.

“Can I ask you something?”

Baekhyun nodded. He was ready to answer all Kai’s questions.

“Are you breaking up with me because of Chanyeol?”

Baekhyun looked up from his latte and stared at Kai. He had asked himself this precise question many times before driving over. And he always got just one answer.

“I am not. If it was because of him, I wouldn’t be here with you. I wouldn’t be with either of you.”

Kai knew Baekhyun was telling the truth but his intentions to bring Chanyeol up were entirely different.

“Then why are you breaking up with me?”

Baekhyun took and pause and sighed. Looking straight into Kai’s eyes, Baekhyun began. “The last few days have made me realize that you deserve someone better, Kai. Someone who’s not me. Someone who has time for you and appreciates your presence in their life. I am not that person. I am afraid I am treating you very unfairly.”

Kai nodded, taking each word in. “Are you with Chanyeol now?”

The question took Baekhyun by a little surprise but he tried not to show it. He wondered why Kai was interested. It’s not that Baekhyun and Chanyeol had started dating. They had shared one kiss. And Baekhyun wasn’t even sure what Chanyeol felt yet. He wasn’t even sure what he felt himself.

“I am not” Baekhyun confessed.

These words assured Kai for some reason. “Good. You shouldn’t be”

Baekhyun stared at him in surprise. “Wh… what do you mean?”

Kai pulled out the most sinister grin. “You don’t know what he is capable of. But don’t worry, you’ll find out soon enough”

A sudden splash of fear rose inside of Baekhyun, wondering if Kai was actually telling him that he knew what Chanyeol was. But before Baekhyun could ask him, Kai interrupted.

“I am late for class” was all he said before he picked up the ring and walked out, leaving Baekhyun in a puddle of questions.

He stared after Kai, trying to contemplate what had just happened. Despite everything, Baekhyun’s fear was not that Kai knew Chanyeol’s truth, what he feared more was that for a second, when Kai said those words, Baekhyun swore he saw it in his eyes that he knew exactly what he was saying. And Baekhyun also knew that those words, were actually a threat.

It was only a while after Kai has left him, did Baekhyun know what he was supposed to do next.

Baekhyun reached home only to find both Suho and Kyungsoo’s cars parked out front. Shaking his head, Baekhyun went it, brutally suspicious of what Chanyeol would have told them by now.

When he went it, he saw Kyungsoo in the kitchen with Suho and Sehun sprawled in front of the TV.

Baekhhyun’s eyes quickly scanned the areas, to look for Chanyeol and that very moment, he came walking down the stairs. Baekhyun suddenly found himself appreciating Chanyeol in a completely different light. He had already noticed how perfect his make was, but as he walked down the flight of stairs, with that addictive child-like smile, Baekhyun could only see someone he knew he had to protect.

Thinking about the spells Kai had gotten his hands on, Baekhyun wasn’t really sure if Kai was actually capable of doing something so vile or was it only for his curious amusement that he had decided to gather spells that could summon, tame and control the devil. Even if his intentions were far from innocent, Baekhyun failed to understand what he would achieve by controlling Chanyeol.

And just like that, Baekhyun knew what he must do. It was not only the fact that Chanyeol needed to go back home, but also the fact that the longer he stayed on earth, the more at risk he was for being tortured and controlled. And the only way to stop this from happening, was to send the Devil back to Hell.

Just the thought of it made Baekhyun’s heart ache unexpectedly. There was a part of him that had not only begun to appreciate Chanyeol’s presence in his life, but also to crave for more of it. There was also a part that wanted Chanyeol by his side. But Baekhyun knew, in all his rationality, that it wasn’t possible. He was just a human and Chanyeol was the Devil himself. All this spelled to him, was fairytale.

“Where did you go?” Chanyeol asked, approaching Baekhyun and taking his hand in his own.

Baekhyun immediately jerked back. First, because there were others in the house and second, because of the decision he had made just a few seconds ago. “I had some work”

The words that he spoke, were as cold as ice on a winter morning but he knew he had to toughen up if he wanted to protect Chanyeol. If they went any further than they had already done last night, neither would have the strength to let the other go. And something told Baekhyun that Chanyeol would rather stay on earth and suffer than be in hell without him.

There was no way Baekhyun was letting that happen.

With no other words spoken or even as little as an eye contact, Baekhyun moved to the living area where Suho and Sehun were lazying around. “Don’t you two have any work to do?”

Baekhyun could notice Chanyeol’s glare on the back of his neck. But there was nothing he could say to him. Not even offer an apology for being a massive dick. He also knew that if he turned around now, he would see the troubles and dejected look on Chanyeol’s face and all his resolve would come crumbling down. So, he kept his eyes focused on Suho and Sehun, hoping a change of topic would change the atmosphere.

Suho flipped the channels without even looking at Baekhyun. “I have taken the day off”

Sehun’s eyes first panned to Baekhyun and then to Chanyeol and he knew immediately something was wrong. But before he could ask or confirm, Baekhyun interrupted.

“Sehun can I borrow you for a while?”

Immediately nodding, Sehun agreed. He had no clue what Baekhyun wanted to talk about but it definitely seemed important.

Baekhyun wanted to talk somewhere private but he knew turning around would mean facing Chanyeol and he didn’t think he was ready for that. Instead, they crossed the living area and went out into the backyard with Sehun, closing the glass door behind him.

Sehun took a seat on the patio and turned to Baekhyun. “What do you want to talk about?”

Baekhyun paced in front of him. He did not know where to start or how to tell him what he wanted to talk about.

So, he just started with the most obvious thing that came to his mind. “You care about Chanyeol, don’t you?”

It was an odd question for Sehun because there was no doubt about his loyalty to Chanyeol, but he still complied. “Yeah, I do”

“And you want him to go back to Hell, right?”

Sehun squinted his eyes. “What is this about Baekhyun?”

Baekhyun wondered how he should tell Sehun about what he was thinking and his apprehensions about Kai. He did not have any proof. Would Sehun believe him still?

“I think Chanyeol needs to go back” Baekhyun said, unsure of everything else except this.

Sehun shook his head. “Did you two have a fight again?”

Baekhyun wished it was something as simple as a fight. “No. I just don’t think he should stay here any longer. You know he’s overstayed his visit and we both know he needs to be back in Hell before something goes wrong”

“Like what?”

“Like Hell breaking loose here”

Sehun laughed at this. “That’s just a myth Baekhyun. It can’t actually happen”

Baekhyun sighed in frustration. How was he going to convince Sehun on this?

“Baekhyun” Sehun let out. “Tell me what this is actually about”

Mind running with a million thought every second, Baekhyun tried to calm himself down first. He wondered how Chanyeol would react to this, he wondered if he would agree. Baekhyun wasn’t sure of many things but he was sure that Chanyeol could no longer stay here.

“Chanyeol’s not safe here” Baekhyun said. “I think he should go back”

Sehun looked a little worried. “What do you mean he’s not safe?”

“I don’t know how to tell you, but I have a bad feeling about all of this, the things we found at Kai’s, the death of his student, Chanyeol having no memory of that night, him staying here, everything”

Sehun got up and walked over to where Baekhyun stood still, like a statue. He placed a firm hand on his shoulder. “I think you’re over-thinking this. We still are not sure who’s behind the death of the student. Just because he was in Kai’s class, could also be a coincidence”

Baekhyun opened his mouth to speak something but the glass door to the backyard opened.

“Kyungsoo’s calling you inside” Chanyeol’s voice reached Baekhyun and Sehun.

“We’ll talk more later” Sehun said as he proceeded to go inside while Chanyeol stepped out, hoping to catch a word with Baekhyun.

“Are you okay?” Chanyeol asked.

Baekhyun just stared at him. He did not want to lie, but he knew telling the truth would be far worse. “I am fine”

“What were you two talking about?”

Baekhyun shook his head lightly. “Nothing important” he said and proceeded to walk inside the house when Chanyeol caught him by the wrist.

“Why are you avoiding me?” he asked. “Is this about last night?”

The mere mention of them being so close the previous night made Baekhyun feel weak in his knees. He turned around slowly.

“Last night was a mistake” he said in a firm voice. His own heart broke as he said those words, only imagining what Chanyeol would be feeling right now. And it was evident. One of the things Baekhyun adored about Chanyeol was that he was always so transparent about his feelings. His eyes always reflected what he felt. When he was happy, there was a shine on those beautiful orbs and when he was sad, the eyes showed mountains of despair.

And Baekhyun knew how to read each of those emotions. Right now, he could see the pain Chanyeol so purely revealed.

“A mistake?” Chanyeol’s voice was shaky, like he was afraid of asking the question. “So it meant nothing?”

Baekhyun’s jaw twisted in resolve. “It meant nothing to me. It will be best if you just get over it”.

Pulling his hand away from Chanyeol’s grip, Baekhyun began walking away and into the house when Chanyeol caught up with him and turned him around.

“Baekhyun” he said and Baekhyun felt Chanyeol’s voice resonating through every inch of his body. “You’re kidding, right? Tell me this is a joke”

If he could, Baekhyun would take everything back in a heartbeat. He would tell Chanyeol that he didn’t mean any of it. That he wasn’t scared of Kai. That he would protect Chanyeol with his life if he had to. But he had no power, he was no one. He could die for Chanyeol and that would not guarantee his safety.

“What about this feels like a joke to you Chanyeol? You’re the Devil and I am a human. What in the world made you think you and I could be together? Last light was nothing but my fault. I am sorry if it made you hopeful, but let’s be honest, we are not a good match”

“We’ll work something out Baekhyun you can’t just call it a mistake. You know it was not” Chanyeol was almost pleading at this point and Baekhyun wished he could just pull him in an embrace and apologize to him.

“This isn’t a problem that can be solved. You need to be with someone your kind and I need to be with someone my kind”

Baekhyun noticed Chanyeol’s palm turning into a tight fist. He was sure if he laid his palm flat out, there would be tiny crescents on the inside.

“By someone your kind, do you mean Kai?” Chanyeol asked, his voice ringing with anger but containing a certain calmness. Like that before a storm.

“Yes” Baekhyun said. “And about where I went in the morning, I went to meet Kai. To tell him about the mistake I made last night and to apologize”

Chanyeol eyes flickered at those words. He wasn’t expecting Baekhyun to be so cruel with him. He wasn’t expecting Baekhyun to call it a mistake either. But suddenly, everything he had thought he believe in, came crashing down. With just a few words.

This was a misunderstanding. It had to be. Did he do something to offend Baekhyun in any way? Was he saying these things just to tease him? There was no way Baekhyun meant what he just said. There was no way Chanyeol would believe in what he’d just heard. He was sure there was a miscommunication. But before he could clear it up, Baekhyun spoke again.

“I think it’s best if you just go back to where you came from. You’ve already overstayed your visit”

Chanyeol still couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Do… do you really want me gone?” he managed to ask through a cracked voice.

Baekhyun balled his hands into a fist, controlling himself from letting the tear out that was beginning to surface from his eyes. “Yes Chanyeol.” He managed. “You staying here is straining my relationship with my fiancé”

Hanging these words in the dry air, Baekhyun finally turned around and walked inside the house, leaving Chanyeol to pick up the pieces of everything he’d shattered in less than a few minutes.

When Chanyeol walked back in, the atmosphere was already grim.

“Where are you going?” Kyungsoo asked when he saw Chanyeol turn away from where everyone was sitting and walk towards the stairs.

“I am not hungry” Chanyeol answered in a low voice and quietly went upstairs.

Kyungsoo immediately turned to Baekhyun. “What happened?”

“I told him that he needs to go back to Hell”

“You did what now?” Suho asked, almost as shocked as Chanyeol was when he heard Baekhyun say that.

“He can’t stay here any longer” Baekhyun said. “I am certain Kai is planning something”

“I told you, you’re over-thinking this Baekhyun” Sehun interjected. “But if you’re that worried, I will try and find out if there is something fishy going on with him”

Kyungsoo nodded. “I am dropping by at Jongdae’s station later in the afternoon. I am sure he can help us find more about Kai”

Kyungsoo had already briefed them about Kai and Jongdae’s relationship early on and all of them agreed that Jongdae was their best bet on trying to figuring things out.

“Can you tail Kai?” Baekhyun asked, turning to Sehun. “If he’s hiding something, I am sure you’re the only one who can find out without being in actual danger”

Sehun nodded immediately.

“What about me?” Suho asked, a little hopeful that he might get to join Sehun in the adventure.

“I need you to stay here with Chanyeol.” Baekhyun spoke, worry dripping from his voice. “I just told him that he needs to go back and I am afraid he hasn’t taken it too well”

This was a little disappointing but Suho didn’t mind. He had come to like Chanyeol more than he earlier did. Especially because he knew how protective he was of Baekhyun.

While everyone was already set on the task they were supposed to perform, Baekhyun already knew what he had to do. Visit his old home.

Kyungsoo stood outside the police headquarters, waiting for Jongdae. He was banned from stepping inside after Jongdae had almost gotten into trouble with his boss because of Kyungsoo.

“I won’t be able to help you if I am fired” was all Jongdae had said to shut Kyungsoo up.

Waiting for Jongdae was a difficult task. No one ever knew when he’d be free because work kept piling up at the last moment. On top of that, he did not even answer his texts or calls while he was busy.

This was precisely why Kyungsoo contemplated if he should go in and remind Jongdae that he was supposed to meet up right at this moment.

Passing off a shrug because he had no better idea, Kyungsoo decided to go in.

Just as he was about to step into the office, he saw a familiar face walk out the door. As far as he could remember, it was Jongdae’s boss, Minseok, if he was not mistaken.

“Ah, you again” Minseok said, looking at Kyungsoo who seemed confused. “Why are you back again?”

Kyungsoo fidgeted with his nails. He obviously couldn’t tell Minseok about what he and Jongdae were doing. “We’re going out on lunch” he said instead.

Kyungsoo noticed that Minseok raised his eyebrows on hearing this. Was it just his imagination or did he sense something odd in the way the captain had reacted.

“Too bad he’s bu…”

Before the captain could finish speaking, Jongdae rushed out of the door.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. I was just finishing up with some work” Jongdae said and then his eyes fell on his captain, standing right there. “Ca… captain Minseok. What are you doing here?”

“Huh?” Minseok asked, a little taken aback like he’d been caught doing something he wasn’t supposed to. “Wh… what do you mean what am I doing here?” he screeched. “Last I checked, this was my department. Are you questioning your boss?”

Jongdae looked petrified. “N… no sir” he said, standing as attentive as possible. “I was just wondering what you were doing with Kyungsoo” he managed to say.

“That’s none of your business” he immediately replied and then turned towards Kyungsoo. “I see you have a lot of time to waste on lunches?” he asked. It was obvious that even though he was looking straight at Kyungsoo, his question was directed at Jongdae.

By now, Kyungsoo had a pretty good idea why the department was scared of Minseok, despite his size. It was because the man was a living nightmare.

“You better be back within an hour or I am taking the time away from your paycheck” he finally said and walked back in, leaving Kyungsoo a little terrified than before.

“I hate him so much” Jongdae muttered when he knew his boss was out from hearing range. “What the fuck are you even doing here? I told you wait outside because I knew something like this would happen”

“I… he…” Kyungsoo was still finding words to say. This was the first time he had been intimidated by anyone in his entire life. “You boss is crazy” he said, turning his fazed eyes towards Jongdae. “I love it” he then added with a mischievous smile. “And I think he likes you”

“What the fuck?” Jongdae asked, unable to comprehend the last few words.

“Yea, I can tell”

“You can’t even tell your right hand from left” Jongdae snapped and started walking towards the outer gate. “Let’s go, I need to be back in an hour or my ass is fired”

The lunch was duly ordered at the closest restaurant the two could find.

“So, any progress?” Kyungsoo asked as he set the table for the two of them.

Jongdae pulled a few papers from underneath his jacket and placed them on the table. “The documents are pretty old and since they cases have been closed, there was nothing much on it”

Kyungsoo took the papers from Jongdae and peered through them. The first report file was on Kai’s parents. But there was nothing substantial found on them. He then looked into the file of the other couple that has died just a few days after Kai’s parents. This was more detailed and Kyungsoo presumed it was because the old lady of the house probably probed the police to find more about the sudden deaths of her son, his wife and their only child.

The more Kyungsoo read, the more indulged he got. He read that there was no evidence of arson. There was no foul play. The postmortem clearly stated that the couple were alive when they were being burned. And what was even off was that there were no signs of movement between the two during the event.

Then something struck him. Time of death was approximately 3 am. His mind ran endlessly. Something was bothering Kyungsoo. He quickly picked up the file that contained details on Kai’s parents and just as he’d thought, their time of death was the same.

“Look at this” he said, showing his find to Jongdae.

Jongdae looked at the two pieces of information. “They died around the same time?”

Kyungsoo nodded. “You know what’s even odder?” he asked and Jongdae shook his head. “Ethan’s time of death is around 3 am too”

Jongdae’s mouth flung open as he realized his mistake in missing something so obvious. “Do you… do you think all these are related to Kai?”

Kyungsoo thought about it for a moment. “He was too young to do something like this all those years ago, but I have a feeling everything connects back to him”

“How?” Jongdae asked.

Kyungsoo shook his head. “I don’t know yet”

Just then, something else caught his attention. He pulled the file of the second couple again and went through each page.

“That’s strange” he said, looking at Jongdae. “They had a four year old son who died in the fire too that night, right?”

“That’s what I heard” Jongdae answered. “Why?”

Kyungsoo looked up from the file to Jongdae, face grim with worry. “Then why isn’t there a single report on the dead kid?”

Baekhyun entered the house that once belonged to him and his mother. He didn’t even remember the last time he’d been here. The past seemed like a distant memory that only brought pain. Ever since his mother passed away, Baekhyun had tried to live the life she wanted him to live. But he always knew something was missing. He knew his mum wanted him to have a happy life, but as far as Baekhyun could remember, he had never truly been happy. There were certain splashes of happiness in his life like his two best friends, and now, for some reason, even Chanyeol was a part of it.

Not wanting to dwell more on this, Baekhyun walked through the tiny space that was once his entire universe. The place seemed smaller than he remembered. And cramped. How he wished he could have given a bigger house to his mum to live in.

The place was full of his old belongings. Everything had a memory attached to it. The floor by the entrance where Baekhyun had tripped and fallen more times than he could count. The small table that his mother set for the two of them to have dinner together. The photos in the room that only had Baekhyun smiling. The place was a palace his mother had built for him.

Despite wanting to stay in the past a little longer, Baekhyun knew there was a more pressing matter at hand. He couldn’t afford to lose time. He was there to find two things. The old woman’s belongings and a way to send Chanyeol back.

When the house next door was demolished for renovation, the people in the neighborhood had left the old lady’s possessions with Baekhyun. And even then he was surprised at how the woman’s entire life was packed in just one trunk that now sat in the corner, towards the end of the room.

Baekhyun went closer and cleaned the trunk that was covered in years of dust. He wasn’t even sure if he’d find something but he knew he had to try.

Opening the trunk was a bit of a task. Years of being kept untouched had caused a heavy amount of rust to accumulate along the edges, which made cover stuck.

After struggling for a good amount of fifteen minutes, Baekhyun was finally able to open it.

At first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. There were a few clothes on top that Baekhyun picked up and set aside. Below that, were some wooden boxes kept in perfect order. Baekhyun picked each one up to open them and realized that they contained nothing but herbs which had completely dried out by now. He wondered why she had such a huge collection of herbs in her trunk. Nothing giving it much of a thought, Baekhyun began removing the wooden boxes one by one.

Under the boxes he’d just removed, Baekhyun finally found something he thought he could make use of. There were four books, that looked like journals. He picked up the first one. As he flipped through the pages, Baekhyun realized that it was a book of finances where the old lady had notes on her expenses on a daily, monthly and yearly basis. It was of no use to Baekhyun so he put it aside.

The second and third books did not contain anything special either. They were covered with notes on medicines and the use of medicinal herbs.

Keeping them aside, Baekhyun picked up the fourth and final book. Under the journals, was just the emptiness of the trunk so Baekhyun prayed that there would be something worthwhile in the last book at least.

The first thing Baekhyun noticed when he opened the book was that it contained a stack of photos right in the middle. Picking them up, Baekhyun sifted through each one.

All the photos had the old woman in them, along with a man, quite young, a woman, young too and a kid, who seemed 3 or 4 years old.

Baekhyun suddenly remembered what Kyungsoo had told him of the woman and her family. He concluded that the photos were of the woman’s son, daughter in law and grandson. Having found nothing on them, Baekhyun turned to the fourth book again.

As he flipped the first page, he saw only four words “Misit diabolus in infernum”

So far, Baekhyun had read enough Latin to know what these words meant. It was about sending the Devil back to Hell. Desperation filling in, Baekhyun flipped through the page onto the next one.

Blank. There was nothing written on it.

Impatience taking control, Baekhyun flipped through the book in need to finding more words. Page after page Baekhyun kept going, only to reach the end and realize that those four words were the only ones written in the book.

A sudden wave of frustration ran through his body as he threw the journal away from him in anger. Nothing. There was nothing there.

Just then, his eyes fell on the photos again and this time, Baekhyun looked at them more intently than before.

The daylight was enough to ensure that Baekhyun’s vision was not unclear. As he peered into the photos one more time, he found something familiar in them. The man in the photos, who Baekhyun supposed was the old woman’s son, seemed eerily familiar. So did his wife.

Where had Baekhyun seen them before?

A sudden recollection hit Baekhyun unexpectedly when a flash of these people pierced his mind. Was it a memory? Baekhyun wasn’t sure. And then, he remembered. These were the people he had seen in his dreams the past couple of months. And these were the people Baekhyun called his mum and dad.

This didn’t make sense. Baekhyun shook his head, telling himself that he had probably seen their son call him mum and dad and he was probably mistaking them for his own parents. He then looked at the kid in the photos. The young child seems familiar to Baekhyun too. But he was more familiar than Baekhyun cared to figure out.

The more he stared at the young boy, the more disbelief washed over him.

He stood up with a jolt, carrying the photo in his hand and walked over to one of the walls in the room that had his photos hanging on them.

The dust over the glass made the photos impossible to see. Pulling one apart from the wall, Baekhyun began to take its frame off to have just the photos to himself.

Once he was done, he placed his own photo on the floor and then he placed the photo he’d found in the trunk, right next to it.

As if the ground beneath Baekhyun’s feet had caved in, Baekhyun sank on the floor, weak and broke.

The two kids in the photos were the same. They were both Baekhyun. He was, the old woman’s presumed dead grandson.

Baekhyun did not have any measure of time after that. His entire world had just crumbled down. As he sat on the floor, unmoved, the day turned into night and night into midnight.

When Baekhyun finally got a hold of his emotions, it was already past 1 am.

He wondered if he should go home. This place felt alien to him how. All these years, the home he had called his safe place, wasn’t even his to begin with. The woman he had grown up believing to be his mother, wasn’t so. The people he had no memory of, were his actual parents and the old woman he had barely even spoken to in his entire life, was his grandmother.

Suddenly, everything in the world seemed like a lie to him. Nothing made sense anymore. Baekhyun wasn’t even sure if he knew who he was now. The mother he had loved and missed, was a stranger.

What could hurt more than this? Baekhyun wondered. Why had she done that? Why had she taken in an infant and raised her as her own? That too while living right next to the real family?

All these question stemmed from the frustration that was building inside of Baekhyun. And he had no way of finding the answers out. The only two people who knew about it, were dead.

Baekhyun felt lost. His entire life and identity was a lie. Was Baekhyun even his real name? Or was he called something else by his real parents?

_Real parents._

These words seemed like a joke to him. Never had he thought that he would have to face situation where his life would turn into such a huge mess.

Tired and on the verge of giving up on everything he ever believed in, Baekhyun decided to go back to the only place that felt like home to him. His house that was temporarily hosting Chanyeol.

Baekhyun went back to his house close to 2 am. The lights were off and there was no disturbance inside. He walked up the foyer and peeped into the living room. Chanyeol was asleep on the couch and Suho lay snoring on the floor next to him.

“One thing at a time” Baekhyun told himself. “One thing at a time”

As he walked up the stairs to go into his room, all he could think of was how temporary his relationship with his mother had been. First the birth mother and then the mother who raised him. Both had left them in this big, scary world to fight for himself with nowhere to go to for answers.

That night, Baekhyun let his tears exhaust him to sleep.

A loud bang woke Baekhyun up the next morning. By the sound of it, Baekhyun realized that it was Kyungsoo.

“What’s wrong?” Baekhyun asked as he opened the door.

He saw Kyungsoo and Suho rush in and turn the TV in his room on.

“What happened?” Baekhyun asked but his question was answered by the news.

“… relation to the previous murder, a new victim had been found early this morning with a similar pattern of abuse all over her body. A few days ago, the first of such victim was found in an abandoned lot and just like last time, this victim has a heart missing too”

Baekhyun stared at the blurred photos of the crime scene, with his jaws open.

“The victim, as identified by the forensic team, is a woman in her early 30’s”

A smiling passport sized photo of the victim showed up on the screen and Baekhyun’s blood ran cold. He knew this woman. She owned the pharmacy at the end of the street where Baekhyun lived. It was just a few feet away.

“The body was found in an alleyway behind her workplace…”

Everything after that, was unheard by Baekhyun. His mind went numb and his senses failed.

Suddenly, something hit him. “Where’s Chanyeol?” he asked, unsure of where the question came from.

Both Kyungsoo and Suho looked at each other. But before either could reply, Sehun popped into the room from thin air.

“There’s a problem” he said, looking at Baekhyun. “Chanyeol’s missing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damn it's been really long since I last updated. I am sorry for being so late. I have been busy with work and usual life shit that keep preventing me from writing more. I hope this chapter lives up to your entertainment. I will try and be more regular here on. Also, sorry for the typos and errors. I didn't have time to edit those. :(
> 
> Also Twitter suspended my old Twitter account to reasons only known to them. So follow me here on my new account if you want to.  
> [yeolallineed_](https://www.twitter.com/Yeolallineed_)  
> 


	16. Chapter 16

_**The hollow of the night** _   
_**And the whispers of the moon** _   
_**Make promises that go beyond time** _   
_**They keep me on my toes** _   
_**To chase after what’s mine** _

36 hours had passed since Chanyeol went missing. Sehun and Baekhyun had been looking for him all this while but none of them were able to locate the devil. Suho decided to stay home in case Chanyeol came back while Kyungsoo decided that tailing Kai with Jongdae was a better idea.

“Any luck?” Suho asked when he called Baekhyun who was driving.

“Nothing yet” Baekhyun said. “I am still looking around”

“Where exactly are you?”

“Not in the neighborhood”

Suho found this odd. “Shouldn’t you be looking around the neighborhood since the woman was killed here?”

Baekhyun turned silent. “You think he did this?”

“That’s not what I am saying” Suho said. “All I am saying is whoever’s doing this, wants to make sure Chanyeol is at the center of it”

“I am not going to let them succeed” Baekhyun said. “Let me know if he shows up”

The moment Baekhyun hung up, Sehun showed up again in front of Suho.

“Any luck?” Sehun asked.

Suho shook his head. “Baekhyun’s still look. What about you?”

Sehun walked over to the couch and took a seat. “I’ve searched for him everywhere, but no luck”

“Don’t worry” Suho said, sitting next to Sehun and placing a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll find him.”

Sehun looked at Suho, boring deep into his eyes. “How can you be so sure?”

Suho shrugged. “We’ve seen worse, haven’t we?” he asked. “Baekhyun brought him back from purgatory, so I am sure we’ll find him”

A smile formed on Sehun’s lips. “I love how you’re always so positive. It’s not something I am used to”

“What do you mean?”

Without a warning, Sehun placed his head on Suho’s shoulder, resting while knocking the breath out of the human. “Hell is… different, you know? It’s full of darkness and malice and everything evil. So something like this is like a breath of fresh air”

He paused, pulling away from Suho and turned to look at him. “ _You’re_ a breath of fresh air”

Suho stared back, without so much as blinking as a wave of heat rushed to his cheeks. “I know it’s not the right time for this, but I know I’ll regret it for the rest of my life if I don’t do this right now”

Sehun cocked his head at Suho. “Do what?”

“This” Suho said and immediately pulled Sehun in for a kiss.

Sehun leaned in immediately, grazing his fingers on Suho’s neck before pulling him deeper.

In the past few months since Chanyeol had been on earth, Sehun had found his life here most fascinating. And it could be credited to Suho. He had never seen such a human who was so full of life.

When Suho pulled back, fearing that he might have done something upsetting, he found Sehun smiling at him.

“You… you’re not mad?” Suho asked.

Sehun shook his head. “I think I’d had regretted it more if you hadn’t done this”

Right at this moment, the human would give anything for Sehun to be a human too, just like him, so that he could at least have a shot with him. But he knew what Baekhyun wanted and he knew that neither Chanyeol, nor Sehun were meant for the earth.

“Don’t you think we’re wasting our time here?” Kyungsoo asked. “I don’t think we’re going to find anything”

Jomgdae sighed. “What is wrong with Kai?” he asked. “Why isn’t he leaving his apartment?”

“Maybe he’s sick”

“He’s not sick”

“And how do you know that, Jongdae?”

“I just know, okay” Jongdae said sharply.

Kyungsoo squinted his eyes at Jongdae, wondering why he was getting so mad over something so trivial.

“Shouldn't we go in and check? What if he’s really sick?”

“I told you Kyungsoo, Kai isn’t sick”

Kyungsoo crossed his arms and leaned against his car seat. “How can you be so sure?”

Jongdae closed his eyes in frustration. “Because it’s just one of his freak things, okay?” he said. “He never gets sick, he’s never gotten sick one day in his life. It’s something that doesn’t need saying, something I’ve noticed”

Kyungsoo quite didn’t understand what Jongdae was trying to say. “Fine. Let’s say he’s not sick, but don’t you think we should still check out if he’s fine?”

Despite his reluctance, Jongdae decided to listen to Kyungsoo because sitting in the car, waiting for Kai to come out wasn’t working.

The apartment, as they found when they reached, looked unoccupied. It was over 10 pm and yet, all the lights inside were turned off.

“What if he’s dead?” Kyungsoo asked.

“You’re a pocket full of sunshine, aren’t you?” Jongdae jibed, making Kyungsoo scowl.

“I’m just saying” Kyungsoo said. “We’ve been out there since yesterday morning. A normal person would at least come to the window for fresh air, unless they’re dead. In which case they don’t need fresh air. Or any air for that matter”

“Shut up” Jongdae said, trying to open the door.

Kyungsoo pushed him aside. “Let me do the honors”

Lifting the mat, Kyungsoo pulled the set of spare keys out, making Jongdae gasp.

“You should be in jail” Jongdae said, shaking his head in disapproval.

Kyungsoo laughed. “I will manage to break myself out of that place too”

With a soft push of the door, Kyungsoo and Jongdae entered Kai’s apartment.

“Have you been here before?” Jongdae asked.

“Yeah”

“When?”

“I refuse to answer that question on grounds that it may incriminate me”

Jongdae gave Kyungsoo a round of slow claps. “A cop and a criminal, working together. Who’d have thought!”

“Shut up and find Kai” Kyungsoo said and walked down the hall.

The place looked like it’s been untouched with dust collecting on the shelves and tables, piles of clothes left randomly, half a sandwich kept on the sink that had now become infested with mold.

The place wasn’t too big and there weren’t many places where Kai would be.

“Let’s check the bedroom” Kyungsoo suggested and Jongdae followed.

When they entered the bedroom, Kyungsoo found everything scattered to bits. The cupboard had been turned inside out, the drawers on the bedside table were pulled out, the bed turned over and then Kyungsoo saw the safe that Kai kept hidden behind the painting. The painting had been thrown off the wall and the safe lay there, open and empty.

Jongdae reached over. “Did you know what was kept inside?”

Kyungsoo did. He did so very well.

But he couldn’t understand why it was empty.

Something clicked and he rushed out of the room and into the study to confirm something.

The moment he opened the door to the study, Kyungsoo realized that he was right. The books that once occupied the shelves, were gone. The herbs were all gone too.

He turned to find Jongdae standing behind him, looking at what he was a second ago.

“I’m certain Kai is the murderer” Kyungsoo said.

Jongdae looked at him in surprise. “How can you be so sure?”

Kyungsoo took a spin and looked around the house.

“Because he’s hiding” Kyungsoo said. “He took everything that he needs and he’s hiding”

It was close to 40 hours now that Chanyeol had been missing. Baekhyun had been driving around the city in a frenzy, cursing himself for breaking the bond that kept him and Chanyeol in close proximity. He knew Chanyeol wouldn’t have disappeared like this if they were still bonded together.

It was only when he was about to give up and was ready to head back home when he suddenly got a call. It was Anne.

“I can’t really talk right now” Baekhyun said, turning the speaker on. “If it’s work, take care of it”

“It’s not work” Anne said. There was an air of worry in her voice and Baekhyun sensed it.

“What is it then?”

“You better come to the office, Baekhyun”

What was Anne doing at the office so late on a Sunday, Baekhyun wondered. He breathed heavily. He didn’t have the right mind to deal with anything else right now.

“Anne, please” Baekhyun said. “I am already in the middle of something so if it’s not urgent, just deal with it yourself”

“It is urgent” Anne said. “And you should be here”

“What is it?” Baekhyun asked. He knew if it was something Anne could take care of, she’d never ask for Baekhyun.

“It’s Chanyeol” Anne said. “He’s in our cabin and he’s covered in blood”

Baekhyun had no memory of how fast he drove or the red lights he missed. He had no recollection of how he drove. All he knew was that he needed to go to his office as soon as possible.

Pulling his car in front of the building, Baekhyun jumped out, running inside.

His lungs were burning from all the exhaustion he’d been through but he didn’t care. The fact that Chanyeol had been found, was more important.

“Where is he?” Baekhyun asked, entering his office where he could only see Anne.

She pointed to the corner of the office, to the other side. In the mild darkness, Baekhyun couldn’t make anything out.

“Is he okay?” she asked.

Baekhyun had no idea. He didn’t know if this time, the blood was Chanyeol’s or like the last time, it was the victims.

“You can go” Baekhyun said, looking at Anne. He didn’t want anyone seeing Chanyeol like this.

“But Baekhyun…”

“Please” Baekhyun said, cutting her short. “Please”

Anne didn’t say another word and quietly left the room.

Baekhyun approached the corner, slowly, steadily,

Baekhyun contemplated turning the lights on but he was afraid it might startle Chanyeol. So he kept walking towards him in silence.

He walked till his eyes adjusted to the darkness and he could make out Chanyeol’s silhouette.

“Chanyeol” Baekhyun said, voice soft, unprovoking.

There was no response so Baekhyun went nearer.

“Chanyeol” he said again. “It’s me, Baekhyun”

“Baekhyun?” a whimper of a voice came out and it made Baekhyun weak in the knees. He hated seeing Chanyeol so broken.

“Yes, it’s me”

Baekhyun crouched down but before he could, Chanyeol pulled at his hand and found shelter in the hollow of Baekhyun’s chest.

Holding Chanyeol shot an ache inside Baekhyun’s heart. Chanyeol was shaking, and he seemed scared.

“Are you hurt?” Baekhyun asked and Chanyeol shook his head, unmoving.

That’s all Baekhyun wanted to know for now. The other question could come later. For now, he was just content with the fact that Chanyeol was unhurt.

Baekhyun held him there, for he had no measure of how much time went by.

Having Baekhyun so close calmed Chanyeol down and he wasn’t shaking anymore.

“Are you feeling okay?” Baekhyun asked.

Chanyeol pulled himself away and nodded.

“I’ve been worried sick. Where have you been?”

“I… I don’t know” Chanyeol said, closing his eyes. But the moment he did, he started shaking again.

“Shh” Baekhyun said, holding him once more. “It’s okay. You’re safe. You’re with me”

His words worked like magic on Chanyeol who was now breathing evenly.

“I don’t know what I did, Baekhyun” Chanyeol said after a while. “I have no memory like the last time”

“It’s okay” Baekhyun said. “We can talk about that later”

Chanyeol shook his head. “No. We need to talk about this now”

Even in the dimness of the room, Baekhyun could make out the glint of sorrow in Chanyeol’s eyes. He knew not knowing was killing Chanyeol as much as it was killing him.

“I don’t know what’s happening to me” Chanyeol said.

Baekhyun reached out to wipe away the tear that he dropped down Chaneyol’s face. “We’ll figure this out. Together”

“I don’t think you’re safe with me” Chanyeol said. “You were right, I need to go back”

A sudden ache pulled at the strings of Baekhyun’s heart as he recollected his last words to Chanyeol out in the backyard.

“I’m sorry for saying that Chanyeol” Baekhyun said. “I didn’t mean it”

“But you were right. I am a danger to everyone around me. What if… what if I did kill these people?”

“You didn’t” Baekhyun said. “You didn’t kill anyone”

“How can you be so sure?” Chanyeol asked, unable to believe the words he was hearing.

“Because I know you, Chanyeol” Baekhyun said.

“You don’t know me, Baekhyun. You don’t know the things I’ve done”

Baekhyun wrapped his arms around Chanyeol again, embracing in a warm cage. “What you did in hell, was your duty. It was a job assigned to you. You may be the Devil, Chanyeol, but you’re not a murderer of innocent people”

Back when Baekhyun had given up on living after Chanyeol went missing the first time and Baekhyun had begun spending his days and nights at the office, he had a penthouse build on the top floor of his building where he could go and hide instead of going to his actual home where memories of Chanyeol painted every surface of the place.

He hated being in the penthouse, drowning in his own sorrows until this night happened. Tonight, Baekhyun was glad to have a place he could take Chanyeol and keep him safe.

Anne was right. Chanyeol was covered in blood and Baekhyun was glad to find out that none of it was his own. But then something ugly settled in his heart when he realized that it probably belonged to the woman who had been killed.

After informing Suho, Kyungsoo and Sehun of Chanyeol’s location, Baekhyun asked them to give him some time alone because no matter how many times Baekhyun looked at him, sitting on the couch, Chanyeol still looked scared.

After the call, he asked Chanyeol to go take a shower as he looked for clothes for him to wear.

There was this t-shirt Chanyeol loved that Baekhyun had bought for him. It wasn’t fancy or anything but the color was yellow and Chanyeol knew it was Baekhyun’s favorite color. So he used to wear it often when he had just come from hell.

This t-shirt was the only thing Baekhyun had brought with him from his house to this. Some nights, when sleep was like a lost book he couldn’t find, Baekhyun would hold the t-shirt in his arms till he fell asleep. It comforted him in ways he’d never imagined.

He took the t-shirt out of the cupboard, along with a pair of track pants and went back to the shower to given them to Chanyeol when he found his standing there, under the stream, staring at something unimaginable, unable to move.

“Chanyeol” Baekhyun said but before his name was entirely out of Baekhyun’s mouth, he had already stepped into the shower, to help Chanyeol.

Standing there, like this, Chanyeol looked nothing but a corpse that’s just breathing, a zombie if anything and it was tearing Baekhyun into pieces.

He didn’t know who was doing this to Chanyeol, he wasn’t even sure if it was Kai but he was sure that he needed to stop this before it broke Chanyeol into unfixable pieces. And Baekhyun didn’t even know what that would do to him and his sanity.

With the stream of the water, Baekhyun let the thick red coat of blood flow down as he scrubbed Chanyeol down, carefully like Chanyeol was fragile. Like the wrong tough would shatter him into pieces right there on the floor.

Something broke inside of Baekhyun that night, seeing Chanyeol in his most vulnerable.

“Let’s dry you off” Baekhyun said, tugging at Chanyeol’s hand because he didn’t even have the sense to step off after he was done.

Baekhyun dabbled the towel all over his, soaking the moisture off his skin.

“Can you wear this?” he asked, handing Chanyeol the t-shirt and the trousers. “Do you want me to help you?”

Chanyeol’s eyes were hazy and unfocused but the moment he saw the t-shirt, Baekhyun felt like even for fraction of second, he saw life drive itself back into him.

But the t-shirt wasn’t enough. It didn’t fix Chanyeol.

Baekhyun pulled it over Chanyeol’s head, pulling his hands through the sleeves and then helped him wear the track pant.

“Come on” Baekhyun said, pulling him by his hand.

Chanyeol followed, no question asked, no words spoken.

“Are you hungry?”

Chanyeol shook his head.

Baekhyun did not like seeing Chanyeol like this. He knew he was the happiest when he was eating.

“You need to eat something, Chanyeol.”

There was no response and Baekhyun didn’t want to make Chanyeol do something he didn’t so he quietly led him to the bedroom.

“Let’s sleep”

Chanyeol pulled his hand away, in a sudden jerk.

“I can’t sleep” he said, voice cracking.

Baekhyun went near and placed his hand on Chanyeol’s face, forcing him to look straight into his eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

Chanyeol looked like he would cry again.

“Tell me what’s wrong, Chanyeol”

“I can’t go to sleep, not anymore”

At first, Baekhyun didn’t understand what was wrong. But then it hit him. The last two times that Chanyeol had gone missing, when the two dead bodies were found and when Chanyeol had no memory of what had happened, he was asleep.

It was in his sleep that he’d gone out, unable to recall anything, only to return with blood all over him.

“If I sleep, I’ll hurt you”

Baekhyun did not know what to say or how to comfort Chanyeol. All he knew was that Chanyeol needed to believe that he’d never hurt Baekhyun.

Closing the gap between them, Baekhyun tip-toed till his lips were only a breath away from Chanyeol’s.

“You’ll never hurt me baby”

With that, he took Chanyeol’s lips in his own, drowning in the scent of lavender and mint that he’d used to scrub Chanyeol.

The life Baekhyun had been waiting for, found its way into Chanyeol again as he wrapped his arms around Baekhyun and pulled him closer.

The kiss was soft and unhurried like they had eons to whisper little secrets on each others’ lips. Tonight, was no such night. It was only for Chanyeol to feel that he was needed, that he was safe and that he’d never hurt Baekhyun.

The night was for Baekhyun to keep Chanyeol safe, to make promises he intended to keep and to make sure, no one hurt him again.

With Baekhyun next to him, Chanyeol slept, peace taking over his face and his make because he knew, the man he was holding in his arms, was a man he loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short update. I'll try to be consistent :(


	17. Chapter 17

_**The world has its uses** _   
_**To those that seek meaning** _   
_**I find it bleak and pointless** _   
_**For you, my love** _   
_**Are the only world I know of.** _

“Thank god you’re okay” Suho said when he saw Chanyeol with Baekhyun in the house.

Chanyeol gave out an empathetic smile.

“I swear to god Chanyeol” Kyungsoo said, approaching him, “oh, you and god don’t get along” he added, confused for a second. “I swear to you Chanyeol if you go missing one more time, I will kill you”

“It’s not a hobby I enjoy” Chanyeol retorted and Baekhyun beamed with a smile that if not all, a little part of Chanyeol was back.

“Were you hurt?” Sehun asked.

Chanyeol shook his head and sat on the couch with the other closely following.

“Do you remember anything?” Suho asked and Chanyeol shook his head again.

“By the time I was able to make sense of the world around me, I was already covered in blood and inside Baekhyun’s office”

“Why did you go to his office?” Kyungsoo asked, “Of all places?”

“I have no idea.”

“Your subconscious must have led you there” Suho interjected, “it happens. Perhaps you see Baekhyun’s office as a safe place”

“I find this place safer” Chanyeol said, looking around the house and then at Baekhyun.

“Maybe” Suho added. “But you went missing from here so maybe his office seemed like a better option to you”

Chanyeol had been wondering this himself. Why did he go to the office of all places? It was not like what Suho had said. If Chanyeol remembered anything, he was certain that it was because he could feel something pulling him to that place. But he didn’t say any of this out loud to anyone. They already had something to worry about and this would only add on to their problems.

“Do you need to rest?” Baekhyun asked when Chanyeol didn’t say anything.

Chanyeol nodded and Baekhyun immediately turned to everyone else in the hall.

“You all, get out” he ordered.

“This piece of shit has no loyalty towards friends, does he?” Kyungsoo asked.

“And I will soon have a firing letter from the company if you keep staying here and avoiding work” Baekhyun retorted. “The Devil’s not going to make itself”

Sehun found the entire conversation ironic. “Humans are weird” he said after a while.

“Come on” Suho said, pulling at his hand. “Let’s leave them alone to _rest”_ he added, air quoting the rest part.

Once everyone had scooted off, Baekhyun took Chanyeol to their room upstairs and shut the door. Just as he was about to turn around, he found Chanyeol there, hugging him from behind.

“I love how you smell” he said, digging his head into Baekhyun’s neck.

Baekhyun turned around and smiled at him. “I love how you smell too”

The air between then suddenly shifted, like they were more aware of each other suddenly.

Chanyeol walked back, tracing his steps to the bed and sat down, pulling Baekhyun towards him until he could rest his head on Baekhyun’s stomach, his arms around Baekhyun’s waist.

“I love how this tiny body of your accommodates me entirely”

Baekhyun ran his finger through Chanyeol’s hair, a smile never leaving his face.

Suddenly, Chanyeol looked up. “Do you know why I always close my eyes when you touch me?”

It was strange how Baekhyun had never noticed this before but Chanyeol was right. Now that he thought back, Chanyeol did actually close his eyes every time Baekhyun touched him, but he hadn’t the faintest clue why.

He shook his head.

Chanyeol took Baekhyun’s hand and placed the palm against his cheeks, closing his eyes again when the skin made contact.

“I’m always burning up, Baekhyun” he said. “I’m always on fire. Maybe you don’t feel the heat on the outside but from the inside, I am always heated up. Like my blood is literally boiling.”

Baekhyun wanted to know why but his eyes must have asked the very same question because Chanyeol answered them next. “It has to be that way if I have to survive in Hell.”

Chanyeol took a pause, his cheeks still feeling Baekhyun’s touch on them.

“But when you touch me, I feel the breeze of cold air run through my body” he said. “You touch is like ice, but in the nicest way possible”

He ended his words with a smile that Baekhyun was ready to give everything up for. Only when Chanyeol smiled did Baekhyun realize how much he’d missed that tiny dent on his left cheek.

An involuntary trace of fingers made Chanyeol close his eyes again and all Baekhyun wanted was to keep touching him.

“You’re a talker this morning, aren’t you?” Baekhyun teased.

“I’ll talk as long as you stay with me to listen”

“I promise” Baekhyun said and with that, he bent down, claiming Chanyeol’s lips again into his own.

“What are we doing here?” Sehun asked once Suho once they’d reached Suho’s apartment.

“Hmm?” Suho asked. “Oh I have to go to work” he said. “Do you want to stay here?”

Sehun took Suho’s hand in his and shook his head. “Not when you’re not here”

Suho wanted more than anything to stay home with Sehun but he had duties he couldn’t ignore.

“Will you be here when I get back?”

Sehun gave a short nod. “You’ll find me here!”

“How long?”

Sehun squinted his eyes. “How long what?”

“How long will I keep seeing you here when I get back?”

It was a question both knew answer to, but were to scared to admit.

“As long as you’ll want me here”

Suho pulled his hand away from Sehun. “But it won’t be forever, will it?”

Sehun closed his eyes and took a heavy seat. “Our forevers don’t match, Suho” he said. “Your forever is limited, mine, is not”

“What happens when we find who’s doing this to Chanyeol?”

Sehun sighed. “Hopefully he can go back to hell”

“And you’ll go with him, won’t you?”

Sehun nodded. “He’s my king. I serve no one but him. I have to go back”

Suho closed his eyes, trying to absorb the words deep inside so he could recall them each time he found himself falling for Sehun. But the tiny thing called hope was still poking the edges of his reasons.

“Or you could stay back, with me”

Sehun got up and went closer to Suho, taking his face in his hands. “I would give everything up to be with you Suho, but I took an oath. Where I come from, oaths are more important than our existence. You know what I mean, right?”

Of course Suho knew what he meant. Humans might be different from creatures from hell, but even here, oaths meant something. As a doctor, they meant even more.

“It’s sad that I understand what you mean, or I would have fought with you to break it”

Sehun placed a soft kiss on Suho’s forehead. “You make it even harder for me to leave you. Fights, I can take. Empathy, tugs at the strings of my heart”

Suho laughed lightly. “At least you have a heart” he teased.

Sehun looked into Suho’s eyes, wondering how he’d survive in hell without him. “And it beats for you”

Suho wrapped his arms around Sehun, placing his head right over his heart. “Maybe I could do really, really bad things on earth and end up in hell, We can meet then, can’t we?”

This earned him a raised eyebrow. “What kind of bad things?”

Suho thought about it for a minute. “Being a bad friend and being rude and being a bad doctor and not showing up at work… things like these”

Sehun laughed. “That’s the evilest thing you came up with after thinking about it for a whole minute?”

Suho scowled and pushed Sehun away. “I can do bad things, okay?”

“Come here” Sehun said, embracing Suho once again. “You can never do anything bad, Suho” he said. “That’s one of the things I love about you”

“Is Chanyeol okay?” Anne asked when she saw Kyungsoo turning up at the office.

Kyungsoo was busy working on the next designs of the devil in the game upgrade. The last one was a pretty decent hit, the designs of which were inspired from Chanyeol. And Kyungsoo was set to make the next upgrade a hit too.

He was so engrossed in his work that he didn’t even hear Anne the first time.

“Kyungsoo” Anne said, knocking on his desk. “Is Chanyeol okay?”

“Huh?” Kyungsoo said. “Oh yeah! Yeah he’s fine now.”

Anne smiled. “I’m glad to hear it”

“You found him here, didn’t you?”

Anne nodded. “I did”

Kyungsoo pursed his lips into a thin line. “I know it’s not my place to ask” he said, “But there is a lot at stake so I hope I don’t offend you”

Anne crossed her arms over her chest. “Sure, go ahead”

Kyungsoo waited for a few seconds but there really was no other way to ask what he wanted to ask. “What were you doing here so late?” he asked. “On a Sunday?”

“Oh” Anne said, like she was expecting something else. “I come to work on Sunday nights sometimes, to make sure everything is set for Baekhyun the next day”

Kyungsoo nodded. It kind of made sense. Except…

“Baekhyun has taken time off from work” Kyungsoo quickly added. “So why were you still here?”

Anne smiled at him and took the next right next. “Do you know what I did before I began working for Baekhyun?”

Kyungsoo shook his head. He had no idea and he wasn’t sure how it was relevant here.

“I was everything” she said. “I was the waitress who was so overworked that she broke dishes only to have her pay cuts. I was the part timer who stood in the sun all day, handing random paper pamphlets that they threw away…”

Kyungsoo did not know what to say.

“People are funny, aren’t they?” Anne asked. “No one saw how tired I was as I handed them the fliers on the pavements. No one saw how dehydrated and malnourished I was. No one saw that I wore the same clothes every day because that’s the only work clothes I had. No one noticed how desperate I was for them to take that single piece of paper that meant nothing to them, but earned me one meal a day”

Anne took a pause and smiled. “Baekhyun was the first one who did”

Kyungsoo looked at her, a little surprised. “Who did what?”

“Looked at me when I was invisible to the world. I was passing fliers out by an internet café one afternoon which he visited often. He saw me and offered me food. I remember the tears I cried when he offered me something that I didn’t have to work for. I wasn’t used to that kind of kindness.”

Kyungsoo smiled. “Baekhyun’s like that” he said. “Won’t have a penny in his pocket but will make sure you do”

Anne nodded. “After the dorm Baekhyun offered for me to stay in, this is my home” she said, looking around. “I find peace here in ways I never thought I could. The nights are cruel to people like me” she added. “Someone who’s lost so much. I find solace here”

“I’m sorry” Kyungsoo said. “I shouldn’t have asked”

Anne shook her head. “I’m glad you did.” She said. “Do you know this is the first time we’ve talked and not about work?”

“Really?” Kyungsoo asked. “He had no idea”

“I’m glad we did”

Kyungsoo nodded. “Me too”

Anne got up, ready to leave. “Oh and Kyungsoo” she said, once she was at the door. “Baekhyun’s going to make a very stupid decision soon. Stop him”

With that, she walked out.

It took Kyungsoo a minute to understand what Anne said and by the time he ran after her out in the corridor, Anne had already vanished.

No matter how much Kyungsoo racked his brain, he just couldn’t understand what Anne meant when she said Baekhyun might do something stupid. More importantly, how did she know he’d do something in the future?

After work, he decided to drop by at Baekhyun’s place, assuming that he and Chanyeol must have _rested_ enough.

“Wow” Baekhyun said when he saw Kyungsoo standing at the door. “It’s you. Again”

“Yeah yeah!” Kyungsoo muttered and shoved Baekhyun lightly away from the door so he could come in.

“At least it’s just you” Baekhyun said. “Of late I feel like you all live here more than I do”

Kyungsoo turned around and gave Baekhyun a weird look.

“What’s with the face?” Baekhyun asked. “Are you constipated?”

“No you idiot” Kyungsoo said. “I’m telling you through my face that Suho will be here soon too”

Baekhyun shut the door and walked in. “That’s not what your face said”

“Duh. It did. Wait I’ll prove it to you”

Kyungsoo rushed over to where Chanyeol was by the backyard and pulled the same face he did with Baekhyun.

“What does my face tell you?” he asked.

“That you’re constipated?” Chanyeol said, making Baekhyun laugh.

Kyungsoo gasped and pointed his finger at the two of them. “I hate you both”

Chanyeol looked at Kyungsoo and mouthed, ‘I hate you too’.

Kyungsoo smiled and mouthed ‘I hate you more’ at him.

“Why are you here?” Baekhyun asked interrupting the little games these 5 years old kids were playing.

“Oh, right” Kyungsoo said, heading over to the couch and taking a seat. “I wanted to talk to about Anne”

“What about her?” Baekhyun asked as Chanyeol snuck behind him, placing his head on Baekhyun’s shoulder and snaking his arms around.

“Okay, you two need to get a room” Kyungsoo said, looking at them.

“The whole house is my room, Kyungoo.” Baekhyun said. “You’re here against my will”

“Just stop making me uncomfortable, okay?”

“Does this make you uncomfortable, Soo?” Baekhyun asked, turning around and wrapping his arms around Chanyeol’s shoulders as Chanyeol hugged him back.

Chanyeol laughed at the way Kyungsoo was reacting.

“He’s making the constipated face again” Chanyeol said, still hugging Baekhyun.

“Will you guys stop?” Kyungsoo asked, fuming a little and Baekhyun had to admit, it was kind of fun, teasing Kyungsoo.

“I thought you wanted me to have true love” Chanyeol said, recalling the conversation Kyungsoo had with him in the lawn when they had drunk to their wits’ ends.

“Yeah but I’m not too keen on being an eye witness”

“Does this make you uncomfortable too?” Baekhyun teased, reaching out to kiss Chanyeol but before he could, Kyungsoo got the better of them.

“Enough” Kyungsoo got up and wedged his way between the two. “You” he said pointing to Baekhyun, “Sit there and you” he said, to Chanyeol. “Get your ass over there”

Baekhyun and Chanyeol now sat on the opposite sides of the couch, nowhere near each other.

“And stay” Kyungsoo added.

This was amusing to Chanyeol and he found his mood being uplifted.

“Okay now that Chanyeol and I are separate, tell me what you want to know about Anne”

Kyungsoo slowly paced between the two.

“What do you know about her?” he asked.

Baekhyun shrugged. “Pretty much everything” he said and recalled how after he’d helped her a couple of times, Anne approached him, looking for a job.

“She’s the reason I’m here” Baekhyun said finally.

“Something’s not sitting well with me” Kyungsoo added. “First the fact that she found Chanyeol in the office on a Sunday night and…”

“And?” it was Chanyeol who had asked this.

“And then she said something weird”

“Like what?” Baekhyun asked.

Kyungsoo took a deep breath and sat down. “She said that you’ll make a stupid decision soon and that I need to stop you”

“I’m always making stupid decisions, Soo” Baekhyun said, pointing to Chanyeol.

“Hey” Chanyeol said, not taking it too well.

“Oh come on Chanyeol, you can’t possibly believe him summoning you and then going to purgatory to find you constitute as good decisions”

Chanyeol scowled but went silent. It was kind of stupid.

“But it’s not what it said, but how she said it that got to me”

“Explain” Baekhyun said passively.

“It wasn’t like she was referring to what you usually do. It was like she was making a premonition”

“Don’t be ridiculous” Baekhyun said. “I’m sure you’re imagining things”

“I don’t know how to explain this to you but we’ve seen enough weird shit in the past couple of months to just ignore this”

Baekhyun did not know what to say. He trusted Anne more than he trusted himself. He was sure Kyungsoo was mistaken. But what if he was not? He hated how his thoughts had now been tampered with. He hated how he was contemplating the idea that Anne knew something.

What if she was hiding something?

What could she be hiding?

It was odd that she was at the office that late on a Sunday night.

Now more than ever, Baekhyun wanted to find out who was doing this to Chanyeol because he felt like one by one, the people he trusted were being taken away from him.

And then he remembered…

Baekhyun had been so occupied with Chanyeol and finding him that he’d completely forgotten about what he found back at the old grandmother’s house.

A heavy settlement found its way into Baekhyun’s heart.

It all seemed like a dream but it was not. This was real. It was permanent and Baekhyun’s entire life had changed, just like that.

The finality of what he saw hadn’t quite crept back into his mind yet, but it was creeping now, slowly, etching the truth all over him.

Before he could sort this emotions, the doorbell rang and Kyungsoo excused himself to open the door.

Chanyeol hadn’t taken his eyes off Baekhyun, even for a moment. And he saw how troubled he looked.

“Baekhyun” he said, standing and walking towards him. “Are you okay?”

At this moment, Baekhyun was all but okay. He suddenly realized that everything he’s known so far, had been a lie. The mother he knew and loved, the father that abandoned them, the old woman who Baekhyun thought was nothing but a stranger, were all lies that people around him had concocted for him.

He didn’t know truth from lies anymore.

Chanyeol called Baekhyun’s name again but he was too occupied with how his life had been torn into shreds.

He sat down next to Baekhyun and took his hand in his own.

The moment their skins touched, Baekhyun broke down into tears, with the weight of everything he’d been carrying for three days now.

“What happened?” Suho asked and Sehun and him walked in.

“I…” Chanyeol began. “I don’t know. He was just sitting there, looking lost and suddenly…”

“Let him cry” Suho said. “He’s been through enough over the past few days. It’s better if he lets everything out”

Baekhyun had settled down and was calm now. Everyone sat around him, worried and yet relieved. They all knew what Baekhyun had taken up on himself in the past few days, months. And so, no one said a word.

But despite everything, Chanyeol couldn’t help feel guilty. He was convinced he was the reason Baekhyun’s life had turned into this giant pile of mess that had no escape. Maybe Baekhyun was right, maybe it was best if Chanyeol went back to hell.

“Feeling better?” Kyungsoo asked, looking at Baekhyun.

The latter nodded. “Yeah”

“What happened?” Sehun asked.

In the past few months, Sehun had come to see Baekhyun as someone who was, not equal, but above Chanyeol. He had come to respect him in ways he never thought was possible. He loved and respected Chanyeol but some of it came from his duty bound responsibilities. While for Baekhyun, the respect came from within. It wasn’t something he was told he had to do.

Even though millions of years had passed, Sehun had never found anyone who could be a true mate to Chanyeol. When he saw Baekhyun for the first time, he was sure Baekhyun wasn’t one. But the tiny creature surprised him in the most unexpected ways and Sehun found himself being glad for it.

If there was someone who could, in all true sense, be Chanyeol’s mate in this whole wide universe, Sehun was sure, now more than ever that it was Baekhyun.

And so, it worried him too when he saw Baekhyun break down like that.

“Do you want us to leave?” Sehun asked.

Baekhyun looked up, tears still swimming in his eyes. “No” he said.

“What’s wrong?” Kyungsoo asked. “Did I say something to upset you?”

Baekhyun did not know where to start, what to say. But keeping this to himself was not something he could take right now.

He wanted to speak but the words wouldn’t come out. His lips quivered, trying to find words but it wasn’t words he was searching, it was strength.

As long as only Baekhyun knew the truth, it was his to keep. He could easily discard it as a mistake and move on with his life like he never knew anything. But the moment he said it out loud, the words would become a truth, a permanent state of being that will forever be there, hanging around him. He wasn’t sure if that was what he wanted.

A pair of hands found their way to his own, squeezing them tightly.

Chanyeol gave a brief nod, his hands warm on Baekhyun’s. It was strange how Baekhyun felt like ice to him when all Chanyeol every felt like was a warm ray of sunshine.

And this was all he needed to know what to do.

Baekhyun wasn’t a coward to run away from things just because they were scary. He was the guy who went to purgatory to save the Devil himself.

“I went to my old house a few days ago” Baekhyun began. Taking his time, he explained what he saw, what he concluded and what he believed.

When he was done, Kyungsoo spoke first. “So that old woman was your grandmother?”

Baekhyun nodded.

“And she’s the one who gave you the book of spells?”

Baekhyun nodded again.

“Your grandmother was a witch?”

A sudden blow of the elbow hit Kyungsoo on the his ribs.

“Ow” Kyungsoo said. “Suho, what the fuck?”

“Mind what you’re saying” Suho warned him.

“I don’t mean it as a cuss” Kyungsoo said. “I mean it like Harry Potter witch and wizards”

“I don’t know” Baekhyun said. “I don’t think she was one. Maybe she just had the book with her”

“That’s possible” Kyungsoo said.

The three of them got into discussing the details of everything Baekhyun had just said when Chanyeol quickly excused himself, worry splashed over his face.

When the discussion was over and Kyungsoo had also filled Suho and Sehun in about Anne, only then did Baekhyun realize that Chanyeol wasn’t there.

“Is he in the room?” Baekhyun asked.

Sehun looked around. “I’ll go get him” he said and quickly vanished.

“Is something wrong?” Sehun asked when he suddenly appeared in the room, just behind Chanyeol.

The latter was staring out the window, deeply lost in thoughts.

Chanyeol turned around and looked at Sehun and the creature knew something was worrying him.

“Do you remember when we last came here?” Chanyeol asked.

Sehun nodded. It wasn’t something he could easily forget.

“The Tamsin Sisters were something, weren’t they?” Chanyeol laughed.

“I don’t remember anything about it being funny” Sehun said, in a very grave tone.

“Everything is funny” Chanyeol said, laughing again. “This whole situation is funny”

“What do you mean?”

“Isn’t this exactly what happened back then too?”

Sehun was confused for a moment. “Exactly?”

“It was a witch who wanted to control me the last time, Sehun and now there is a possibility that Baekhyun’s grandmother was a witch too”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Sehun asked. “Plus, we’re not even sure if she even was a witch. And let’s say that she was, then what? It’s not like she’s alive to do this”

“Baekhyun has her blood”

Sehun had to pause for a minute to understand what Chanyeol had just said but no matter how long he paused for, it still did not make sense to him.

“Are you…” Sehun began. “Are you saying Baekhyun’s doing all this?”

“What?” Chanyeol asked, genuine shock plastered over his face. “No. I meant that if he’s one of them, then…”

“Then what?”

“Then his life might be as much in danger as mine is”

“Where were you?” Baekhyun asked when Chanyeol came back downstairs with Sehun.

“I was a little tired” Chanyeol lied.

“I need to leave” Sehun announced, suddenly gaining attention from Suho.

“Where are you going?” Suho asked.

“I have to go back to hell” Sehun said. “I’m the one in charge when he can’t be there” Sehun said, pointing at Chanyeol.

“When will you be back?”

“Soon” Sehun said and before Suho could say anything else, he bowed to Chanyeol and vanished.

“What did you do to him?” Suho asked, turning to Chanyeol.

There was no way Chanyeol could answer that question with Baekhyun standing there. “Nothing” he said. “He really has to run hell when I am not there”

No one noticed how he was avoiding eye contact with Suho while he lied, standing there. No one except Kyungsoo.

“Did Suho leave?” Chanyeol asked Kyungsoo as the latter sat in the living room, watching TV.

Kyungsoo nodded. “He said he’ll wait for Sehun at home. Where is Baekhyun?”

“On a call with Anne”

Kyungsoo jumped into his questions right away, knowing he would not get an opportunity when Baekhyun was around.

“Why were you lying earlier?” he asked. “When Suho asked about Sehun”

Chanyeol sighed. There really was nothing escaping this little man.

“I sent Sehun to do something and I don’t think he’ll be back anytime soon”

Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow. “Where did you send him?”

“To find something”

“Stop talking like you’re in a crime drama. Just tell me what it is”

“To find the spell that will send me back to hell”

Kyungsoo turned the TV off and faced Chanyeol, a wave of shock washing against his face. “You did what now?”

“I have to go back” Chanyeol said, but even though he knew that was the truth, saying the words out loud was killing him from the inside.

“What about Baekhyun?” Kyungsoo asked. “Haven’t you guys just started dating? Why would you do this to him”

“I’m doing this _for_ him, Kyungsoo” Chanyeol said. He then explained what he and Sehun had talked about earlier.

“Me staying here will kill him”

Kyungsoo clutched the remote in his hand and without a warning, smacked Chanyeol on the head with it.

“What the fuck?” Chanyeol asked, massaging his head where the remote stuck him. “This hurts”

“Good” Kyungsoo said, “If you think you staying here is going to kill him, what do you think will happen when you go away?”

Chanyeol shook his head. “I can’t be the reason he dies”

Kyungsoo gave out a heavy sigh and sank back on the couch.

“I hate how complicated things are” he said.

“Me too”

Suddenly, something struck Kyungsoo and he leapt in excitement.

“Don’t make any decisions yet” he said. “Give me a few days, okay?”

“What are you going to do?” Chanyeol asked, wondering _if_ there is anything that can be done.

Kyungsoo smiled at him, and Chanyeol sank back in his seat, a little scared now. “I’ll use you as bait”

It was decided that after Baekhyun would go to sleep, Chanyeol would meet Kyungsoo to discuss the genius plan Kyungsoo had devised to help Chanyeol and Baekhyun.

And so, Chanyeol stood in the living room at 3 am, waiting for Kyungsoo to come downstairs.

“Aren’t _you_ punctual?” Kyungsoo asked when he saw Chanyeol waiting for him.

“And you’re 3 minutes late”

“Well you can drag me to hell for it” Kyungsoo teased.

Chanyeol scowled. “What exactly is your plan?”

Kyungsoo flipped the laptop open on the living room table and turned to Chanyeol.

“I’m guessing the murders that have happened, have something to do with you”

Chanyeol stared in shock. “I did not kill those people”

Kyungsoo shut his eyes. “I know, idiot” he said. “But you’re still found drenched in their blood. Which means whoever is doing this, wants something from you”

“Yeah” Chanyeol said. “He wants to control me”

“Not he, Kai” Kyungsoo said.

“What makes you so sure it’s Kai?”

“I just know” Kyungsoo said.

Chanyeol shook his head. “Fine. Kai wants to control me”

Kyungsoo nodded. “The question is… how?”

“How?” Chanyeol was confused.

“How does he want to control you?”

“Spells I guess?” Chanyeol said.

“Exactly”

“So?” Chanyeol had no idea where this was going.

“So maybe, you being covered in blood is a part of the spell”

This weirdly made sense to Chanyeol. “Basically what you’re saying is, Kai is killing these people and using their blood to try and control me?”

Kyungsoo shrugged. “That’s the only plausible reason I can find”

“But he hasn’t been able to control me”

“Not yet” Kyungsoo said. “But I noticed something”

“Like what?”

“Like the first time you went missing, you were found way sooner than the second time”

Chanyeol hadn’t even thought about it.

“Maybe Kai controls you mind but I remember you came back to your senses sooner the first time than you did the second time”

It was possible that Kyungsoo was right. The first time it was just a couple of hours. The second time, it was almost two days.

“Maybe with each sacrifice, this period of control increases until…”

“Until what?” Chanyeol asked but somewhere deep down, he knew the answer.

“Until you can’t come out of it anymore”

It was horrific to even think about it. Chanyeol remembered the things he did the first time he was controlled. And that was just half of his conscious that had been taken over. The other half was awake, aware. If this time, things went further and Chanyeol was under complete control, he wouldn’t even remember it all. Would it be better? To do horrible things and not remember them?

Chanyeol shook his head.

No. It would not be better because then, Chanyeol would truly be a monster with no regret, shame or guilt.

The last time Chanyeol was on earth, he had ignored signs that he should have picked up on. The sudden deaths of the people, their hearts missing, him being told that it was a wild animal, him believing the story and not willing to compromise the life of luxury he was give, all led him to his fate that he regretted every single day. He felt guilty that he was kept in complete luxury and away from commoners when he last came down here. That was until he found out why he was being pampered so much.

“Okay” Chanyeol said. “Let’s say you’re right, what exactly are you planning to do?”

Kyungso sighed. “According to what Sehun told me, whoever is doing this, wants to tame you. So why don’t we use the spells to reverse-engineer it?”

“Wait” Chanyeol said, wrapping his head around the idea. “By reverse engineer, do you mean…”

Kyungsoo nodded, with a smile.

“No way” Chanyeol said. “That’s dangerous”

“Not more than what is already happening”

Chanyeol looked conflicted, unable to make a decision.

“Are you hundred percent sure about this?” he asked after a while.

“Nope” Kyungsoo said. “But I’m going to do this anyway, with, or without you”

Chanyeol closed his eyes and shook his head. “Fine” he said, giving up. “Let’s summon the killer”

Kyungsoo had done enough research to know the things he needed to summon the one who is on a killing spree. He had read enough to know that there was no way the spell would work in a normal human being. But anyone with magic in their blood, like a witch, could be summoned.

In order to prepare for the event, Kyungsoo asked Chanyeol to meet him at 3 am in Baekhyun’s backyard.

“All set?” Kyungsoo asked as Chanyeol carried the heavy bowl from the front door to the backyard.

“Why am I doing all the heavy lifting?”

“Because you’re the Devil, silly” Kyungsoo said. “Also this is lowkey revenge on when you thought you could order me around just because I was a human. Look who’s the master now”

“You’re evil” Chanyeol spat. “Maybe you could be the next king of hell”

Kyungsoo shrugged. “I’ll think about it” he said, teasing.

“Are you sure you don’t want to call on Sehun?” Kyungsoo asked after a while.

Chanyeol nodded. “If the killer appears and things go south, I need him to be safe”

“And Baekhyun?” Kyungsoo asked next.

“He’s asleep” Chanyeol said, staring at the bedroom window from the backyard. “Sehun knows what to do to keep him safe too”

“Chanyeol” Kyungsoo whispered. “You’re not going to die, okay?”

Chanyeol shook his head. “We don’t know anything about this killer, Kyungsoo. We don’t know how powerful he is. He must be considering how he’s been able to put me in a haze every time he kills.

“What do you mean?” Kyungsoo asked. “Didn’t this happen back when you came here in the 6th century?”

Chanyeol shook his head.

Back in the 6th Century, he did not have blackouts when people were killed. He did not find himself covered in their blood, not knowing what he had done. This was much worse. The not remembering part. And that was why Chanyeol was so apprehensive about summoning the killer.

“Kai isn’t that powerful” Kyungsoo said. “I don’t think you need to worry”

Chanyeol sighed and nodded. “Let’s just get it over with”

Kyungsoo prepared everything that was needed in the bowl, packing it with herbs he hadn’t even heard of.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Ready!” Chanyeol said.

Kyungsoo pulled out a small knife and slit his palm, dropping the thick red liquid into the bowl. Tiny sparks of light began erupting from within.

He then pulled his phone out.

“You know the spell?” Chanyeol asked.

“I don’t know I just translated what I wanted to Latin, hoping it would work”

“You don’t even know if it would work?” Chanyeol asked, fuming.

“Shut up and let me start before I run out of blood.”

Taking his phone, Kyungsoo began chanting.

**_“Apparent, qui velit nisi diabolus”_ **

A spark, bigger than before, started a fire in the bowl as Kyungsoo spoke the words.

**_“Apparent, qui velit nisi diabolus”_ **

**_“Apparent, qui velit nisi diabolus”_ **

A bat screeched somewhere within the trees and flew away into the night.

**_“Apparent, qui velit nisi diabolus”_ **

Kyungsoo kept chanting when suddenly, a lightning cracked across the sky, striking straight into the bowl that Kyungsoo had in his hands.

Both Chanyeol and him flew across the yard at the sudden impact, landing hard on the ground, apart from each other.

The bowl that too, was on the ground, burned in bright light until the light died with a poof.

Kyungsoo and Chanyeol stared at where the bowl was, a second ago.

Right next to it, someone stood, hands open like they were in the middle of a spell too.

Kyungsoo stared at the make, unable to move. This wasn’t possible. There was no way this was possible.

Chanyeol looked from Kyungsoo to the figure standing between them. Even in the darkness, Chanyeol could make out who it was.

“How the fuck did you summon me?” a fuming Anne roared into the night, leaving Kyungsoo and Chanyeol speechless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm too consistent this time. Don't get used to it though. :P


	18. Chapter 18

_**The memories of your love** _   
_**Keep me awake at night** _   
_**Your scent still lingers on my pillow** _   
_**You may be gone from the world** _   
_**But I’ll forever keep you in my heart** _

Anne looked at Kyungsoo and then at Chanyeol, mad with rage.

“Are you two stupid?” she asked. “I was in the middle of something important”

Kyungsoo stood up and approached her, so did Chanyeol.

“Yeah?” Kyungsoo asked. “Like what? Killing someone?”

“I’ll kill _you_ if you don’t send me back immediately”

“You little game’s over Anne” Kyungsoo said. “We know the truth”

“What truth?”

“That you’re the murderer who killed two innocent people because you wanted to control the Devil” he said, pointing to Chanyeol.

“Kyungsoo” Chanyeol began, “Maybe we should first listen to her”

Kyungsoo put a handout, indicating Chanyeol to stop. “No. There is nothing for her to say anymore. I know it’s her who killed those people”

“Until now you were sure it was Kai who had killed those people” Chanyeol said.

Kyungsoo glared at Chanyeol with a beam that could poke holes into his skull.

“Whose side are you on, Chanyeol?”

“Yours, but I think we should listen to her”

“The Devil’s got more brains than you, Kyungsoo” Anne said, interrupting them.

“You don’t get to talk till we bring you to Baekhyun” Kyungsoo said, taking her hand and dragging her inside the house.

“If you want to make the biggest mistake of your life, sure, go ahead”

Kyungsoo stopped and turned around. “What do you mean?”

“I mean I need to get back and finish what I was doing”

“I won’t let you kill any more innocent people” Kyungsoo said. “And I will never let you tame the devil”

Anne jerked her hand away from Kyungsoo and said something under her breath.

The moment the whispers escaped her lips, Kyungsoo found himself stuck in the spot he was standing on, unable to move even a finger.

“What the fuck did you do to me?” he asked, horror evident in his eyes.

“Just stay still for a minute” Anne said.

“I won’t let you get off this ea….”

“Mmmhh” Kyungsoo muttered.

“What did you do?” Chanyeol asked when he saw Kyungsoo unable to speak.

“He talks too much” Anne said, apathetically.

Then she turned to Kyungsoo. “If I want, I can snap you into two in just a matter of seconds” she said, making Kyungsoo fight the spell more. “But I won’t because I mean no harm to you or Chanyeol”

“Then why are you here?” Chanyeol asked. “The spell was to summon the one who wants to tame the devil”

Anne pursed her lips in confusion. “Who prepared the spell?” she asked.

Chanyeol pointed towards Kyungsoo.

“Do you have it with you?”

Chanyeol nodded and rushed over to Kyungsoo to take his phone out of his pocket.

“Sorry” Chanyeol mouthed to Kyungsoo whose eyes were calling him a traitor.

He then showed the spell to Anne.

The moment her eyes fell on the screen, Anne gave out a big laugh.

“You idiot” she said, looking at Kyungsoo. “This isn’t the spell to summon the tamer of the Devil”

Both Kyungsoo and Chanyeol looked at her, unable to understand.

“This spell is to summon the saver of Devil”

“The saver?” Chanyeol asked.

Anne shrugged. “Look here” she said, pointing to the screen. “’Apparent, qui velit nisi diabolus’ is the spell to summon the saver.” She quickly opened a translation app and fed in the words.

“See?” She asked, shoving the phone on Kyungsoo’s face.

“If you wanted to summon the tamer, you should have used ‘Appsrent, qui vult domare diabolus’”

Kyungsoo wasn’t fighting his spell anymore. Instead, he kept staring at the screen.

“Can you release him?” Chanyeol asked and Anne followed with a sigh.

Despite being free from the spell, Kyungsoo still did not move.

“You… you’re trying to save me?” Chanyeol asked. “Why?”

Anne rubbed her forehead. “For Baekhyun” she said. “He’s the one I’m protecting and to protect him, means to protect you too”

“Protecting him from what?” Kyungsoo finally asked.

Anne turned to him. “Trust me Kyungsoo, the Devil walking on earth isn’t the worst thing to happen here” she said, still not giving any straight answers.

“Do you know who’s behind all the murders?” Chanyeol asked.

Anne shook her head. “No. But I am trying to figure out” she said. “His protection charm is too strong. I can’t detect his magic”

“So you’re a witch too?” Kyungsoo asked.

Raising her hands in the air, Anne sighed. “Guilty as charged”

This kind of frustrated Kyungsoo. “So everything you said, about how miserable your life was, it was all a lie?”

Anne looked at him and gave out a tiny sigh. “No Kyungsoo, it was all true”

“This just doesn’t make sense” Kyungsoo said. “If you’re a witch, why did you lead such a miserable life?”

“It’s a curse” Anne said. “Do you know about the White Witch?” she asked looking at Kyungsoo who shook his head.

Chanyeol quickly briefed him about the witch who was burned at the stake by her twin sister who wanted to gain all the power in the world.

“In the witch’s world of magic,” Anne said, “They all think that the White Witch had a protector who was sent into hiding when she was being burned”

Chanyeol nodded. He had heard the same.

“That’s not true” Anne said. “The protector, Ohseon was, in fact, the protector of the Black Witch, her twin. When Ohseon found out what her mistress was planning to do, she betrayed her and went to the White Witch and told her everything she knew, hoping that she would stop the Black Witch. But…”

“But what?” Kyungsoo asked.

“But the White Witch did nothing. She didn’t believe her” Anne said, voice heavy with sorrow. “And when she was being burned at the stake, the Black Witch, who knew of Ohseon’s treachery, cursed her and her future generation to live a miserable life until she can find the True One.”

“Who’s the True One?” Kyungsoo asked.

“It’s Baekhyun” Chanyeol whispered and then looked at Anne. “Your life stopped being miserable the moment you met Baekhyun, didn’t it?”

Anne nodded.

“He’s the True One for what?” Kyungsoo asked. He felt like the more he knew, the more complicated things were getting.

“It is only the True One who can bring peace by ending the evil” she said, averting her eyes from Chanyeol. But he was no fool.

“Baekhyun’s meant to kill me?” Chanyeol asked.

“He’s supposed to vanquish evil, that’s his destiny” she said.

Chanyeol took a step back, unable to believe what he was hearing. The Devil was the embodiment of evil. And Baekhyun was the one who was supposed to stop him.

Kyungsoo saw Chanyeol and a wave of worry swept across him. “Is that why you’re trying to save him?” he asked Anne. “So that Baekhyun can kill him?”

Anne had nothing to say to it and that deafening silence confirmed the answer of the question to Chanyeol.

Kyungsoo shook his head. This wasn’t making sense.

“How do I know you’re not lying?” he asked. “You could be making this story up to save yourself. It could be you who is trying to tame Chanyeol for him to be used as bait”

“I am just a protector. I can’t tame the Devil even if I wanted to”

Kyungsoo fumed. “This is just bullshit” she said. “There is no possible way you could know all this. It happened in the 6th fucking century”

Every word he spoke, was dripped in anger.

“Everything I said is as true as the Devil standing in front of me”

“How?” Kyungsoo asked. “How could you possibly know this stuff? Just because you’re Ohseon’s long lost heir or something?”

Anne sighed and looked straight at Kyungsoo. “I am not the long lost heir of Ohseon” she said, taking a pause. “I _am_ Ohseon”

It took Kyungsoo a while to grip what he has just heard.

“You… you’re Ohseon?” he asked. “The girl from the 6th century?”

Anne nodded. “Although I prefer the name Anne,” she said.

Kyungsoo laughed. “You’re crazy” he said. “There’s no way in hell”

Chanyeol scowled at the mention of hell but Kyungsoo ignored it.

“If you’re Ohseon” he continued and then began counting. “Then that’d make you 1500 years old”

Anne smiled. “But my skin looks like I’m just 15, right?”

Kyungsoo balled his hands into a fist, anger rising again. “All this time you’ve been making a fool out of me and Baekhyun?”

“No Kyungsoo” Anne said, her voice steady and grave. “I’ve been trying to protect Baekhyun”

Kyungsoo shook his head. “How can you still be alive?” he asked.

“The Black Witch wasn’t the only one who cursed me, Kyungsoo” she said, a haze forming in her eyes. “As the White Witch was dying, she cursed me too. With immortality”

“Why would she do that?”

“Because she knew she failed” Anne said. “And she wanted to make sure that if the Devil ever came back, the same mistakes wouldn’t be made again”

Kyungsoo was still not convinced. “Why does Baekhyun need to kill Chanyeol?” he asked. “Why can’t he just send him back?”

“No one knows how to send him back” Anne said. “There is no spell for that”

As the words escaped Anne’s lips, Chanyeol found himself being shaken to the core. He would never go back to Hell, he was stuck here and the only way to end his misery was to be killed, by Baekhyun.

In a way, he knew this would happen. That he would be so out of control, tamed by a witch that he would be on the verge of destroying the world. He knew he would need to be stopped at all costs. He just didn’t know that the man to kill him would be the man he loved.

“Okay now I really need to go back” Anne said. “You guys might want to step away”

Kyungsoo and Chanyeol took a few steps back. But then, suddenly something clicked him.

“Wait” he said. “Are you sure Baekhyun is the True One?” he asked.

Anne nodded. “He always has been. The blood of the White Witch runs in his veins”

“It’s just that….” He began, “there have never been any indications”

Anne stood there, smiling. “Are you sure?”

“There have been” Chanyeol suddenly interrupted, mind running a thousand miles in seconds and then he turned to Kyungsoo.

“I cannot be summoned by just anyone”

“Right on track” Anne said. “The first time you were summoned, it was by the White Witch, the last True One. This time, it was Baekhyun”

“I must have known” Chanyeol said, “when he walked into Purgatory so easily and saved me and then found my brother like it was nothing.”

“Baekhyun isn’t even aware of his own strengths” Anne said. “So I’ll appreciate if you keep this from him”

This earned her a very suspicious look from Kyungsoo.

“For now, at least” Anne added. “I need to find out who’s doing this and how to stop them before Baekhyun finds out the truth because trust me, you don’t want to get him angry”

“Why?” Kyungsoo asked. Baekhyun hardly ever got angry.

It was Chanyeol who spoke up. “Because he can kill hundreds of beings with just one word”

“The Leviathans?” Kyungsoo asked and Chanyeol nodded, remembering how he had just snapped, killing everyone in sight except Chanyeol.

“This is why we can’t risk telling him about his lineage and his family until this is resolved” Anne said.

“But…” Kyungsoo began and Anne sensed there was trouble brewing. “He already knows about his actual family and how they were killed”

Anne ran her hand through her hair. “Does he know his grandmother was a witch?”

“He has doubts but doesn’t know for certain”

“Good” Anne said. “Let’s keep it that way. At least till I get to the bottom of this”

“Now I must really go”

“No wait” Kyungsoo said, stopping her one more and Anne looked at him like she would murder him. “I have one final question”

“What?”

“Baekhyun’s actual family…”

“What about them?”

“They were all killed in the fire, just like Kai’s”

“Yeah, and?”

“Who killed them?”

Anne paused for a minute. “I don’t know” she said.

“Why was it reported in the news that Baekhyun had died in the fire too?”

“Because that was the only way to keep him safe” Anne said. “His grandmother gave him away to the couple next door to be raised as someone normal, so that he could live”

“So someone _was_ trying to kill him?”

“That’s what I presume”

“How is this related to Kai’s parents, though?”

“I don’t have all the answers, Kyungsoo. What is important right now is that no one finds out Baekhyun is the True One. Not even him” Anne said and immediately muttered some words before anyone else could stop her. A poof in the air shot up with a bright light and just like that, she was gone.

But before she vanished, all three of them had failed to notice that Baekhyun stood by the door that led to the backyard, witnessing everything that just happened.

Anne appeared back in her apartment and landed softly on the carpet in the living room, exactly where she’d vanished from.

“Why didn’t you tell them the truth?” a voice asked from the corner in the unlit room.

Anne turned towards the voice. “Were you watching me?”

“Why didn’t you tell them the whole truth?” the voice asked again.

“Because there is no point to it” Anne said. “The Devil needs to die”

“No he does not. Baekhyun doesn’t have to kill him. He can always send him back to Hell”

“No,” Anne said. “He has to kill the Devil. He’s the only one who can because as long as the Devil is alive, there will always be a True One who can bring him. There will always be a Dark One who will try to tame him and I am not keen on living for so long”

“But you didn’t tell him about the Dark One either”

“That’s none of your business, Kai” Anne said. “Why are you here?”

Kai stood up from behind the shadows and walked up to Anne. “I need your help” he said.

“With what?”

“With me” Kai said. “I can’t go on killing people like this”

Anne laughed when she heard Kai say that. “You think you killed those two people?”

Kai looked like he was torn with despair. “I know I did” he said. “I can’t sleep, I can’t eat, I can’t even close my eyes without remembering the faces of those who as I puncture their chests with my hand and they cry and beg me to stop”

The smile vanished off Anne’s face. “Did you… did you really kill those people?”

Kai nodded, tears forming in his eyes. “It’s like I can’t control myself” he said. “Please, help me”

“Are you… are you the Dark One?” Anne asked, still unable to believe this.

Kai did not answer. Instead, he picked up a knife from the table and slit his wrist.

“Kai” Anne screamed. “What the fuck?”

She grabbed a towel and rushed over to where Kai was. By the time she could tend to his cut, it was completely healed like the skin there had never been split into two.

“I can’t even kill myself” Kai said, giving out a hysterical laugh.

Anne stared in shock. Was Kai really the Dark One? “You need to go to the police and surrender yourself” she said.

A chuckle broke into the air as Kai smiled through his tears. “Do you think humans can keep me caged?”

He smiled, teeth-gritting and for a second, Anne thought she saw the face of evil in him. But just as suddenly it had appeared, it vanished too.

“Please” Kai said, crying again. “Please help me”

“H… how?” she asked.

“Sedate me” he said. “Keep sedating me till I can no longer function”

“I can’t do that” Anne said, a little scared of Kai now.

“You have to” Kai said. “You have to or I will end up killing Baekhyun. I know I will end up killing Baekhyun. So if you can’t kill me, put me to sleep”

Despite her reluctance, Anne sedated Kai with the heaviest dose of herbs she could find. For now, this was a temporary solution. When the morning arrived, she knew she’d have to take Kai to Baekhyun where he could decide what the next step was.

Right, now, something more pressing was the matter.

When Kyungsoo and Chanyeol had summoned her, Anne was in the middle of a protection spell. A spell to protect Chanyeol that could keep him unharmed and unaffected by the magic that put him in hypnosis.

It was 2.30 am and the spell wouldn’t take any more than half an hour to activate. Taking a fresh bowl out of the cupboard, Anne prepared the herbs and ingredients anew, getting ready for the protection charm.

Once she was done, she began the chants.

**_“Tueri diabolus et custódiet eum fundati”_ **

**_“Tueri diabolus et custódiet eum fundati”_ **

The bowl shook a little, telling her that the spell was working.

Anne repeated the chants a few more times when a sudden crashing sound came from her room where Kai was sleeping.

Anne didn’t want to leave the ritual but she needed to check what was going on.

Breaking the spell, Anne rushed into her room, only to find it completely empty.

Kai wasn’t there anymore.

“Baekhyun” Kyungsoo’s panicked voice reached his ears. “Baekhyun wake up”

Baekhyun rubbed his eyes, wondering what was wrong.

“What happened?” he asked.

“It’s Chanyeol” Kyungsoo said.

Baekhyun sat up straight on hearing his name and looked around. Chanyeol was no on the bed with him.

“Where is he?” Baekhyun asked.

“Last night” Kyungsoo began. “Last night there were two murders”

“Two?”

Kyungsoo nodded and it began making sense to Baekhyun.

“Is Chanyeol missing again?” he asked, quickly getting out of bed, ready to charge out to find him.

It was only when he reached the door did Baekhyun realize that Kyungsoo hadn’t replied to him yet.

“Kyungsoo, is Chanyeol missing?”

Kyungsoo shook his head.

A wave of relief swept over Baekhyun but he soon realized that something else must be wrong because if not, Chanyeol would be here, with him.

“Where is he, Kyungsoo?” Baekhyun asked. When Kyungsoo didn’t reply for the second time, Baekhyun walked over to him and shook his a little.

“Tell me where he is”

Kyungsoo gritted his teeth, unable to grip anything that was happening. But keeping this from Baekhyun wasn’t going to solve anything.

“He was caught by the police” Kyungsoo said. “He’s was found near the murder site and the police have him arrested. He’s the main and only suspect of the case now, Baekhyun”

Chanyeol sat inside a dimly lit room that was barely big enough for the table and a pair of chairs that occupied it. His hand was cuffed to the table at the center to restrict his movements. There were concrete walls on three sides, painted in the darkest shade of grey to ever exist and the fourth wall, to Chanyeol’s left, had a big glass panel that reflected his own self.

Even in the dimness, Chanyeol could see the blood being reflected on his hands. They hadn’t even let him wash it off.

Suddenly the door burst open and a petite man walked in with piles of paper in his hands.

He dropped the papers on the table with a loud thud, hoping to intimidate Chanyeol but it hadn’t worked.

He took a seat and stared blankly at Chanyeol.

When Chanyeol didn’t yield, the man cleared his throat. “I am detective Kim Jongdae and I am the officer in charge of this case.” He said. “You were found with hands inside the chest cavity of one of the victims so there is no point denying it…”

“I didn’t do it” Chanyeol immediately said. “I didn’t kill anyone”

“We found you with your fist inside the body of a victim”

“I was trying to save him” Chanyeol said.

“Stop bullshitting” Jongdae yelled, slamming his fist on the table.

“I am not bullshitting” Chanyeol said, “They always tell you to stop the bleeding first, the rest can come later”

“They?” Jongdae asked, raising an eyebrow. “Do you belong to a mafia organization that does this? Do they tell you who to kill and how?”

“Huh?” Chanyeol asked, confused. “What mafia?”

Jongdae scratched his chin for a second. “Do you belong to a secret serial killer association that teaches you all this?”

“What are you talking about?” Chanyeol asked.

“What are _you_ talking about?” Jongdae asked back. “Who teaches you these things like stopping the bleeding?”

“Grey’s Anatomy” Chanyeol said.

“G… Grey’s Anatomy? What is it? Like an underground organization that lets you kill people?”

“No you stupid fool” Chanyeol said. “Grey’s Anatomy is an American medical drama”

It took Jongdae a while to understand what he’d just heard. But then he smiled.

“Oh you’re a tough one, aren’t you?” Jongdae paused. “Trying to mislead the investigation?”

“No I am not” Chanyeol said. “I’m telling you the truth”

In response, Jongdae opened the file he was carrying and drop a few photos in front of Chanyeol.

“The CCTV captured you entering the abandoned lot right before the murder” he said, tapping to the little numbers on the bottom corner of the photo. “fifteen minutes later, you were caught by the police who were patrolling the area, with your hand in one of the victims”

Chanyeol shook his head. “You have all this wrong” he said. “I’m not the killer. Someone is using me to pin all four murders on me”

Jongdae turned to him in surprise. “All four?” he asked. “You were brought in for just these two. Are you confessing to the previous two murders too?”

“That’s not what…”

Suddenly the door burst open, cutting Chanyeol short as a man in an expensive suit walked in.

“Who the hell are you?” Jongdae asked making Chanyeol scowl at the word that no one else noticed.

“He’s Chanyeol’s lawyer” came a voice from behind as Baekhyun walked in too.

“Baekhyun?” Jongdae asked. “You know him?”

“Hi Jongdae” Baekhyun said and turned to Chanyeol. “Are you okay?”

Chanyeol nodded, glad to see Baekhyun there.

“Hi Chanyeol” the lawyer said, extending his hand but withdrew when he saw the blood smeared on Chanyeol’s. “I am Lu Han from Han and Associates and I will be representing you”

“You are advised to not say anything further” he continued. “Do you understand?”

Chanyeol nodded again.

“Baekhyun” Jongdae interrupted, voice grave. “I asked if you know him”

“I do” Baekhyun said, looking at Chanyeol. “He’s my boyfriend”

“What the hell Baekhyun?” Jongdae asked when Lu Han asked to be alone with his client and Jongdae took Baekhyun to his desk. “Aren’t you engaged to Kai?”

“Not anymore” Baekhyun said. “I presume Kyungsoo has filled you in on most things?”

Jongdae nodded. “Chanyeol didn’t kill anyone, Dae” Baekhyun said. “He’s being set up”

“We have evidence”

“You don’t understand. Someone is trying to use him”

“That’s ridiculous Baek. Who’d do such a thing?”

“Kai”

Jongdae went silent for a minute after hearing this.

“You know I’m right” Baekhyun said.

Jongdae knew it, in his heart that there was something wrong with Kai but the law did not run on hunches.

“I can’t do anything till I have proof. Also, this Chanyeol guy is very fishy”

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Baekhyun fought an urge to smile. Of course Chanyeol was fishy.

“What do you mean?” Baekhyun asked anyway.

“He’s not in the system” Jongdae said, worriedly. “I ran his fingerprints and it’s like he doesn’t exist on earth. There are no records of him whatsoever. When I asked him where he’s from, he said down under. What does that even mean?”

“He’s not lying” Baekhyun said, “Technically what he said is accurate”

“He was found with his hands inside one of the victims. When I asked him about it he started talking about some 50 Shades of Grey’s Anatomy about stopping the bleeding”

Baekhyun laughed. “Those are two different things, Dae”

“Huh?”

“50 Shades of Grey and Grey’s Anatomy are two different things. I doubt Chanyeol knows anything about the former”

Jongdae raised an eyebrow at Baekhyun. “Both of you are weird”

“Can I sit?” Baekhyun asked, changing the topic and Jongdae immediately cleared the chair of his files.

“Sure”

“I am going to tell you the truth, parts that Kyungsoo didn’t tell you and I need you to promise that you won’t freak out, can you do that?”

Jongdae shrugged. “Of course”

“Good. When you and Kyungsoo were investigating Ethan’s case, Kyungsoo wanted to know if he was an atheist, right?”

Jongdae nodded. “I still don’t know what that was about”

“Have you heard of the 9 circles of hell?”

Jongdae nodded and took Baekhyun by surprise.

“ _That_ you’ve heard of but can’t name a show without mixing it with an erotic novel?”

That drew Jongdae’s attention.

“There is an erotic novel?” he whispered.

Baekhyun shook his head and got back to the topic.

“As I was saying, the 9 circles of hell represent a sin each”

“Yeah I know” Jongdae said. “Limbo, Lust, Gluttony…”

“Exactly” Baekhyun said, cutting him off. “Ethan was an infidel, right?”

“That’s what we found out” Jongdae said. “So?”

“So I need to ask you something”

“Okay”

“Can you link any of the other sins with the other three victims?”

“Where is this going, Baekhyun?”

“Just please, do as I say”

Jongdae sighed. “Fine”

“Thanks” Baekhyun said. “I’ll be with Chanyeol. Let me know when you find out”

Jongdae nodded and Baekhyun quickly left.

After he was gone, Jongdae’s boss walked by.

“Who was that?”

Jongdaelooked up from the files he was peering into and immediately stood up to salute.

“Captain Minseok” he said, a little jittery. “He… he was a friend from high school”

“Detective Jongdae” Minseok said, staring straight at him. “Have you perhaps confused this place with the fraternity house?”

“N… no sir”

“Then why are all your friends stopping by of late?”

“He wasn’t stopping by sir. He is here for the guy we caught last night”

This drew Minseok’s attention immediately. “The murderer?”

Jongdae nodded. “Baekhyun is here for him”

“Then why was he so chummy with you?”

Jongdae wondered if he should tell him what Baekhyun had told him but he decided otherwise.

“He insists that Chanyeol is innocent”

“That’s the perp’s name?” Minseok said, making a strange face. “Chanyeol?”

“Ye… yes sir”

“What kind of murderer is names Chanyeol” he said, giving a light laugh which Jongdae joined by laughing hysterically.

“Good one, sir” he said.

Minseok turned grim. “My jokes aren’t for you to laugh at”

“Sorry sir”

“Get back to work” Minseok said. “And keep a special eye on this Chanyeol”

Jongdae went off to salute again as Minseok walked away, barely managing to breathe. He still was unable to understand how someone as tiny as him could be so intimidating. He bet if it was Minseok questioning Chanyeol instead of him, Chanyeol would fess up immediately, probably shaking in terror all the way through.

He shook his head and got back to what he was doing.

“Sins… sins” he muttered to himself as he opened the first file.

“Lu Han” Baekhyun said as he entered the tiny interrogation room. “When can I take him home?”

Chanyeol gave Baekhyun an apologetic smile, like he was sorry for being caught.

“I’m afraid it isn’t that easy” Lu Han said. “The evidence they have is pretty strong”

Baekhyun gave out a heavy breath. “Can I talk to him, alone?”

Lu Han nodded and got up. “I’ll be just outside the door”

Once Lu Han left and closed the door behind him, Baekhyun turned to Chanyeol.

“Hi” he said, smiling.

“Hi” Chanyeol said.

“I missed you”

Chanyeol pursed his lips, trying to hide his beaming face. “I’ve just been gone a couple of hours”

“I don’t want you gone even for a minute” Baekhyun said. “I’m going to get you out of here, okay?”

Chanyeol looked at him. “What if you can’t?” he asked. “What if I am stuck here forever?”

“Then I will buy this place out and shift here too”

Chanyeol shook his head, remembering the conversation they had with Anne. “What if I am gone forever Baekhyun? And no matter what you do, I can’t come back”

Baekhyun walked over and took Chanyeol’s face in his hands. “I won’t let that happen”

 _But it will happen_ , Chanyeol thought. _You’ll make it happen_.

“You know I have to go back to hell” Chanyeol said instead, not mentioning the fact that he actually meant his own death. “You know I can’t stay here”

Baekhyun withdrew his hand, staring at Chanyeol with teary eyes.

“What are you saying?”

Chanyeol took Baekhyun’s hand and placed it over his heart. “Nothing” he said, smiling again. “I am just all over the place right now”

“I’ll get you out, okay?”

Chanyeol nodded. “I know you will”

“Do you want anything, while you’re here?” Baekhyun asked, looking all over. “New pair of clothes? Something to eat? Oh my what are they going to feed you? You’ll be hungry withing the next few minutes. Should I talk to Jongdae and arrange for something?”

“Shut up Baekhyun”

“But…”

“Shut up” Chanyeol said again. “I don’t need anything”

“Are you sure?”

Chanyeol nodded. “I am fine as long as you’re here”

Baekhyun’s heart skipped a beat. “What will you do when I am not here?” he asked, teasing.

“You could leave me with something that will help me keep thinking of you”

Baekhyun did not wait and immediately bent down, locking his lips with Chanyeol. He explored his way through the corners of Chanyeol’s lips and into his maw, making the Devil moan in ways he’d never heard before.

When he pulled back, Baekhyun looked at how red Chanyeol’s face and ears had become.

“Will that do?”

Chanyeol eyes were still closed, like he was savoring the moment.

“Um hmm” he said, slowly opening his eyes. “I was thinking more like a hug but this is much better” he smiled.

Chanyeol and Baekhyun were in the middle of another steaming kiss when Jongdae rushed in.

“Oi” he said, “Get off each other you perverts”

Baekhyun broke away from the kiss and turned to Jongdae. “Sorry” he said. “We got carried away”

“You know that’s a murderer you’re kissing, right?”

“I did not kill anyone” Chanyeol said, raising his voice.

“I’m not talking to you” Jongdae retorted and turned to Baekhyun again. “I found something like you said”

He rushed in with the file in his hand and laid it open on the table.

“So Ethan was an atheist, right?” Jongdae asked and Baekhyun nodded.

“That puts him in the first circle of Hell”

“Limbo” Chanyeol said.

“R… right” Jongdae said and continued. “The woman who was found dead was having an affair with her neighbor”

“Lust” Chanyeol whispered. “That’s the second circle of Hell”

Jongdae squinted his eyes at him. “How does he know all this?”

“Just continue” Baekhyun said.

“The third man was a morbidly obese man who was an obsessive eater”

“Gluttony” Baekhyun said. That was the third circle. “What about the fourth victim?”

“It’s an industrialist” Jongdae said. “He’s the only one I couldn’t connect to all of this”

“What’s his name?”

“Shin Hyunjung”

Baekhyun’s eyes opened wide when he heard the name. “You don’t know who he is?” Baekhyun asked.

Jongdae shook his head. “He was prosecuted a few years ago for selling expired baby food in the market that killed many infants”

It took Jongdae a while to recollect his name. “Oh” he exclaimed.

“He knew the batch was faulty and yet pushed the products on the shelves because retracting them would cost him millions of dollars”

“Right” Jongdae added. “He was supposed to be prosecuted when one of his Vice Presidents confessed in the end that Shin Hyunjung had no knowledge of the faulty batch and it was the VP who okayed the entire batch to be sold.

Baekhyun nodded frantically.

“That’s Greed” Chanyeol added. “The fourth Circle”

Jongdae took a seat, running his hand through his hair. “So the killer is punishing people for their sins?”

“Kind of” Baekhyun said.

Jongdae turned to Chanyeol. “The fact that you know this makes me suspect you more”

Chanyeol scowled at him. “If I want to kill someone, I’d never go to such lengths. I can so that with the snap of a finger”

“Hah” Jongdae said, “So you admit you want to kill people”

“I never said that” Chanyeol said.

“Guys” Baekhyun interrupted. “Can we not behave like kindergarten kids for once?”

“Fine” Jongdae said. “How is any of this related to this guy?” he asked, pointing at Chanyeol.

“I told someone is trying to use him”

“For what?” Jongdae asked. “I don’t see anyone gaining anything by using him”

Baekhyun shook his head and took the seat next to Jongdae. “You know Kai’s is different, right?”

The question took Jongdae by so much surprise that he had to shift in his chair.

“I… how do you know any of this?”

“Just answer my question”

Jongdae cleared his throat. “My family kind of speculated” he said, “Considering how his grandmother always claimed that she was a witch and how Kai’s mom was one too”

“Do you know that someone with magic in their blood can control the Devil?”

Jongdae chucked. “The Devil?” he asked. “Like Satan himself?”

Baekhyun nodded.

“Sure Baekhyun” Jongdae said. “I didn’t know we were shooting an episode of Supernatural”

“He knows Supernatural” Chanyeol said, beaming a little and Jongdae looked at him like he was deranged.

“Do you ship Destiel too?” he asked.

“Your boyfriend is the dumbest human I have ever come across” Jongdae said, turning to Baekhyun.

“That’s where you’re wrong” Baekhyun said.

“What? That he’s dumb?”

Baekhyun shook his head. “That he’s human”

“You know you kind of insulted me right there babe” Chanyeol said, looking at Baekhyun.

“Hold on for a sec” Jongdae interrupted. “Did you just say that Chanyeol isn’t human?”

Baekhyun shrugged, making Jongdae give out a hysterical laugh.

“So what is he?” he asked. “A shape-shifter? Oooh” he said, wiggling his fingers in the air. “Or perhaps a ghoul? No wait. I bet he’s a demon”

“How dare you call me a demon?” Chanyeol asked, a little agitated. “I won’t sit back and watch you degrade me, you tiny man!”

“Ooh I am so scared” Jongdae mocked. “You’re so scary non-human Chanyeol”

Baekhyun sunk his face in his hands. Where was this even going?

“Jongdae listen to me” he said. “Don’t provoke him”

“Oh yeah?” Jongdae asked, looking at Chanyeol again with a mock smile. “What is he going to go? Smite me?”

“I might if call me a demon again”

“Demon” Jongdae said like it was a dare thrown at him.

Baekhyun just sat there, staring at the two of them getting on each others’ nerves.

“Demon, demon, demon, demon, filthy, stinking, messy pile if goo demon”

“The camera in the other room is off, right?” Baekhyun asked suddenly.

“Yeah” Jongdae said, “Why?”

“And there is no one watching us?”

Jongdae nodded. “There is no one there. Why are you asking me this”

Baekhyun tilted his head to his right, indicating Jongdae to turn and look at Chanyeol.

The moment he did, a horrid gasp escaped Jongdae’s mouth as he tried to keep his screams within himself.

Standing there, instead of Chanyeol, was a creature who was covered in nothing but exposed tissues and muscles. It looked like the creature’s skin had been peeled off.

“Jongdae” Baekhyun said. “Meet the Devil”

Jongdae looked at Baekhyun and then at Chanyeol.

“Oh my god” he screamed in the air, not noticing how Chanyeol winced once more, at the mention of God’s name.

“What happened?” Suho asked once Baekhyun was back home. Him and Kyungsoo has been waiting for Baekhyun to return.

Baekhyun shook his head and sat down. “The evidence is too strong for him to be released on bail”

“What happened exactly?” Kyungsoo asked. “I called Jongdae but he was talking all nonsense”

Baekhyun briefed them about the things that happened at the Police HQ, how he told Jongdae the truth and that Chanyeol revealed himself as the Devil in front of him.

“He did not take it well” Baekhyun said.

It was a very hard decision to leave Chanyeol all by himself there but Baekhyun had no other choice. He had something important to do.

“I’ll go talk to Jongdae” Kyungsoo said, “He’ll listen to me”

Baekhyun nodded.

“I’ll stay with Baekhyun” Suho said, offering company.

“No” Baekhyun interrupted. “I think it will be more convincing if you both talk to Jongdae.”

“But Baek, I can’t leave you alone”

“I’ll be fine here, Suho”

“Are you sure?”

Baekhyun nodded. The thing he has plans for, needed for him to be alone.

Both Kyungsoo and Suho left and the moment they did, Baekhyun rushed to his room to find the Book of Necessities. Once he did, he flipped through the pages to find something useful.

There were banishing spells, spells that made you vanish and appear at another place, tracker spells, freezing spell…

 _This was what Anne must have used on Kyungsoo last night_ , Baekhyun thought.

Baekhyun turned a few more pages till he found a protection spell.

It allowed the receiver of the spell to wade off anything that was against their will.

This was exactly what Baekhyun was looking for.

The ingredients were simple but nothing he had on him.

Despite his reluctance, he picked up his phone and dialed a number.

“I need a few things” he spoke into the phone.

“Sure” Anne said, “What do you want?”

“I need some dried lavender, rose petals, white sage, eggshell powder and ashes from a burned down tree.”

“Baekhyun” Anne’s voice echoed.

“I know everything” Baekhyun said. “Come to my house with everything is half an hour”

Anne stood inside the living room, frozen and surprised.

“How did you find out?” she asked when she saw Baekhyun prepare for the ritual.

“Does it matter?” he asked. “The important thing is that I need to cast this spell”

“Baekhyun” Anne said, approaching him. “You’re not ready to do that yet”

“I don’t care” Baekhyun said. “I have to do it. I can’t just sit and wait for the killer to control Chanyeol and turn him into a monster”

Anne hesitated. “You don’t get it Baekhyun. If you do this, you’ll do more harm to yourself than good to him”

“Anne” Baekhyun said. “Do I look like I care about myself?”

“Maybe you don’t, but I do. Kyungsoo does, Suho does and so does Chanyeol. Do you think he’d want you to do this?”

“He has to be here for him to want anything out of me, Anne” this time, Baekhyun was pleading. “Please, I have to save him”

Anne sighed. “Fine” she said, finally giving up. “I’ll tell you what to do”

“First, place the bowl in the center of the table”

Baekhyun followed.

“Now add the dried lavender followed by white sage”

Baekhyun picked up the ingredients up and added them to the bowl.

“Now crush the rose petals and add them next”

Picking up the grinder, Baekhyun crushed a few rose petals and then proceeded to add them to the mixture.

“Now what?” he asked.

“Now you start chanting the spell and then add the tree ash”

“Okay” Baekhyun said. “What is the spell?”

Anne didn’t respond.

“Anne?”

“Baekhyun I need you to think about this once more” she said. “Once you do this, you can’t undo it”

“Will the spell help me protect Chanyeol?”

Anne nodded.

“Then I don’t want to undo it”

“You don’t understand, Baekhyun” Anne said. “The reason this spell will do you more harm is because you will be in pain, excruciating pain and I don’t even know what it will do to Chanyeol”

“I don’t care”

Anne shook her head. “Listen to me, okay?” she said. “The reason you haven’t been able to reach your true potential is because…”

“Because what?”

Anne sighed. There really was no escaping this. “Because even now, a very thin but relevant bond exists between you and the Devil”

Baekhyun stared at Anne in shock. “Are you saying Chanyeol and I are still bonded together?”

Anne nodded. “Not just that, the feelings you have for each other, it is because of the bond you share”

“What are you trying to say, Anne?”

“I’m saying that once you do this spell, the bond between you two will break. Once that happens, you’ll be able to use magic to your full potential but…”

“But what?”

“But the feelings you have for each other, the love you share, will come to an end”

Baekhyun scoffed. “The feelings I have for Chanyeol are real” he said. “It’s not because of some bond”

“Are you absolutely sure? Let’s say your feelings are true, what about his? Can you, with certainly say that his feelings are genuine?” she asked.

Baekhyun wanted to say yes, but something stopped him. What if it really was because of the bond? Did that mean everything that they shared was a lie?

There was no way this could be true.

For a second, Baekhyun’s hand wavered, planting seeds of doubts within in. What if Chanyeol did not love him after he was done casting the spell? Could he live without him?

Shaking his head, Baekhyun cast the thought aside. It didn’t matter if Chanyeol loved him after that or not. Right now, saving him from being a monster was more important.

“Give me the spell” Baekhyun said, making a decision he hoped would prove Anne wrong.

Anne let out another heavy sigh.

“Fine. Repeat after me”

“Tueri” Anne said.

“Tueri” Baekhyun repeated.

“Diabolus”

“Diabolus”

“Et custódiet”

“Et custódiet”

“Eum fundati”

“Eum fundati”

“Now add the tree ash and keep repeating the words”

Baekhyun nodded and picked up the tiny jar that contained the tree ash.

The moment he poured it into the bowl, a sharp jolt of pain ran all over his body, making him wince”

“Say the words Baekhyun”

“Tueri” Baekhyun struggled to get the words out. “Diabolus”… “Et custódiet”…”Eum fundati”

Another shot of pain ran through his veins, as he whimpered, scramming to the ground.

“Baekhyun” Anne said, horrified by the sight. “You have to keep going”

“Tueri diabolus”… Baekhyun tried once more. “Et custódiet… eum fundati”

As the last word escaped his lips, Baekhyun felt like someone had reached out inside of him and was tearing his organs apart.

“I’m sorry Baekhyun, but have to continue”

All voices faded out. Baekhyun wasn’t sure if he could. The agony was too unbearable for him to take. He wanted to give up. The pain was so piercing that he thought he might pass out. Baekhyun wanted to stop. But then, he remembered Chanyeol’s face and his empty eyes when he had been found in his office. He remembered how dead he looked. Baekhyun hated seeing him like that. Chanyeol hated being like that.

“Come on Baekhyun” Anne’s voice reached his ears. “Try once more”

Baekhyun gripped the table with one hand, using all his remaining strength to help himself up.

“Tueri” he said, getting to his knees.

“Diabolus… Et custódiet… eum fundati”

Baekhyun was standing again, clutching the sides of the table with his hands.

“You have to say it in one go Baekhyun”

“Tueri diabolus et…custódiet… eum fundati”

“Again” Anne said.

“Tueri diabolus… et custódiet eum fundati”

“Again”

“Tueri diabolus et custódiet… eum fundati”

“Again”

“Tueri diabolus et custódiet eum fundati”

The moment he said the spell in one go, a loud spark erupted from the bowl, throwing Baekhyun off his feet and flying in the air.

Anne rushed over to his side.

“Baekhyun, are you okay?” she asked.

Baekhyun looked at her and then at the bowl. “Is it done?”

Anne nodded. “The spell is complete” she said. “And you bond is completely severed”

It was the dead of the night and Baekhyun did not even know what he was doing. All he knew was that he needed to check if the feelings between Chanyeol and him still existed.

When the spell was over, Baekhyun feared more than anything that his feelings would die but when he thought about it, an ache rose up his heart that was somehow worse than the pain he had physically felt a few minutes ago.

It was then that he knew that he loved Chanyeol, still.

And he knew he needed to say those words out loud to him. He didn’t know when he would get another chance.

And so, in the middle of the night, Baekhyun raced through the roads to reach the police HQ where he could go and meet Chanyeol and tell him that.

The HQ was comparatively empty when Baekhyun stepped in. A few people could be seen working on their desks. He searched for Jongdae, fearing he must have gone home but his heart soared when he saw him sitting on his desk.

“Jongdae” Baekhyun said, startling the detective.

He jumped from his seat in surprise. “Baekhyun. What are you doing here so late?”

“I know this is not right but can I please meet Chanyeol?”

“Baek…” Jongdae began but Baekhyun interrupted him.

“Please Jongdae, please”

There was a hint of sad desperation in Baekhyun’s voice that Jongdae couldn’t say no to.

“Fine” he said. “Wait here”

Baekhyun nodded and sat down.

A few minutes later, Jongdae came out.

“I’ve asked one of the guards to bring him to the interrogation room. You can go in when he’s there”

“You’re not going to get him?”

Jongdae turned silent for a minute. “I just… I just need more time to process all this” he said and Baekhyun understood.

After Jongdae took a seat, Baekhyun turned to him. “Did you find any leads on who’s killing all these people?”

Jongdae shook his head. “But after knowing what I know now, I think Kyungsoo was right. It is Kai”

“He’s your cousin, isn’t he?”

Jongdae nodded. “But we hadn’t been in touch for a long time”

“Why is that?”

“You know” Jongdae said with a shrug. “My family cut off all ties with him and his family long before I was even born. It was only in school that I met him for the first time”

“Right” Baekhyun said. “Kyungsoo told me about it. He was a bully, right?”

Even now the words didn’t seem true when Baekhyun said it. Even now, he believed Kai wasn’t like that.

“Bully doesn’t cover it” Jongdae said, “he was a psychopath, doing one thing, saying something else”

“What do you mean?” Baekhyun asked, hovering over the table, going closer to Jongdae.

“First he would hit me casually but then he would find me in a secluded place and actually beat the crap out of me asking why I don’t report him to the teachers or my parents”

“That’s odd”

“Yeah” Jongdae said. “It was like he wanted to be punished for what he was doing”

Baekhyun thought about it for a moment. Who would do such a thing?

“That’s not all” Jongdae continued. “Sometimes I even found him talking to himself and crying”

“Crying?”

Jongdae nodded. “He would keep saying sorry and that he didn’t want to do it anymore”

“Do what?” Baekhyun asked.

“Bullying, I suppose”

Baekhyun was about to ask more when a guard appeared.

Jongdae looked at him and then at Baekhyun.

“You can go meet Chanyeol now” he said. “Follow the guard”

The interrogation room was still as dim as it had been before. But for some reason, Baekhyun thought that seeing Chanyeol there would brighten up the atmosphere. For the first time, in a very long time, Baekhyun was excited. And he was excited because he was sure of his feelings.

Despite what Anne had said, Baekhyun had gone through with the spell, only to come out as a winner on the other side. Only to realize that his feelings for Chanyeol were as true as they got. It wasn’t the bond, it wasn’t anything else. It was true love.

And Baekhyun would tell it to Chanyeol now, he would tell him that he loved him, that he would do everything in his power to protect Chanyeol, that he will find a way for them to be together and that no matter how much Anne believed in it, Baekhyun would never do anything to hurt Chanyeol. He might be the True One destined to vanquish the evil, but Chanyeol was his only one.

Baekhyun opened the door with a smile as he saw Chanyeol sitting on the chair in the middle of the room.

His hair was ruffled and his eyes shone bright. He had been playing with his handcuffs while waiting and the sight was so adorable to watch, that Baekhyun could spend eternity just standing there.

“Chanyeol” Baekhyun said, walking up to him.

Chanyeol looked up from the cuffs and stared back at Baekhyun.

“I have something to tell you” Baekhyun said, smile plastered over his face.

“Okay” Chanyeol said, looking at Baekhyun as a wave of confusion swept across. “But who are you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! What?


	19. Chapter 19

_**There’s a place** _   
_**In the clouds of desire** _   
_**I call it Dream** _   
_**Because that’s the only place** _   
_**I get you see you anymore** _

“Chanyeol” Baekhyun said, unable to quite grip the situation. “It’s me Baekhyun”

Chanyeol stared at him blankly.

“Don’t you remember me?”

Chanyeol shook his head innocently.

Baekhyun felt like someone had crushed his entire reason to live.

“I summoned you from hell” Baekhyun said. “We were in purgatory together… we… we…”

Chanyeol had no idea what the guy in front of him was talking about.

“We what?”

 _We were in love_ , Baekhyun wanted to say.

“We were friends” he said instead. “You live with me. Don’t you remember anything?”

Chanyeol thought about it for a moment.

“I do remember being summoned to earth.”

“Yes” Baekhyun said, desperation reeking from his voice. “I summoned you”

Chanyeol skewed his eyebrows. “I don’t think so”

Baekhyun couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Try and remember Chanyeol. It’s me”

In an attempt to help him. Baekhyun reached out and placed his hand on top of Chanyeol.

But the action agitated the Devil.

He jerked his hand back. “How dare you touch the Devil?”

 _We’ve done more than touch_ , Baekhyun thought as a tear dropped down his eyes.

“Please” he said. “You have to remember me Chanyeol”

“Who told you that name?” Chanyeol asked. “Don’t ever call me by that name again”

“You’re kidding, right?” Baekhyun asked, heavy tears trickling down his cheeks. How was this possible? How could Chanyeol just forget him?

“Tell me you’re joking Chanyeol”

The Devil looked at Baekhyun, unmoved, unfazed.

“Guards” he yelled the very next second.

The door opened and Jongdae entered. “What happened?” he asked, rushing over to Baekhyun who had gone down on his knees, begging for Chanyeol to remember him.

“I don’t know who this man is” Chanyeol said. “Can you take him out?”

Jongdae looked from Chanyeol to Baekhyun.

“Baek” he said, helping him, “Get up”

Baekhyun wasn’t ready to budge. He took Chanyeol’s hand in his once more.

“Chanyeol, please” he cried. “Please try and remember me”

Chanyeol pulled his hand away from him one more time and turned to Jongdae. “Can you please take him out?”

Jongdae had no idea of te strength he’d have to gather to drag Baekhyun out of there. By the time the door closed behind them, it looked like Baekhyun had shattered into a million pieces.

“Baekhyun” Jongdae said once he had taken him back to this workstation. “Get a grip of yourself”

Baekhyun did not respond. He wasn’t even crying anymore. He just sat there, like a dead body.

Not knowing what else to do, Jongdae immediately dialed Kyungsoo’s number to ask him to come and get Baekhyun, because this was beyond what Jongdae could handle.

Half an hour later, Kyungsoo arrived with Suho.

“What happened?” he asked the moment he saw Baekhyun.

Jongdae shrugged. “Baekhyun was crying in the interrogation room earlier, saying Chanyeol did not remember him”

“What?” Suho exclaimed. “Is he still in there?”

Jongdae nodded and Suho rushed in while Kyungsoo tended to Baekhyun.

“Baek” Kyungsoo said, sitting opposite him. “Tell me what’s what?”

In all the while that it took Kyungsoo to be there, Baekhyun hadn’t moved an inch.

But when he heard his friend’s voice, he finally turned his eyes and looked at Kyungsoo.

“He doesn’t remember me Kyungsoo” Baekhyun said, almost on the verge of tears again. “He doesn’t remember me”

“What happened?”

Baekhyun, in the shortest possible way, told him of the spell he’d performed earlier.

“Anne warned me that something might happen to Chanyeol” Baekhyun said, voice breaking. “I never imagined it would be this”

“So you know about Anne and you?” he asked.

Baekhyun nodded.

Kyungsoo rubbed his forehead in frustration.

Just as he was about to ask more questions, Suho walked in.

“He remembers me” Suho said, “And he remembers Kyungsoo”

Suho should have sounded happy about this but the fact that Chanyeol didn’t remember Baekhyun, was worse than any imaginable thing.

“Why did he forget me?” Baekhyun asked, his voice higher than anyone in the room would have liked.

“Calm down Baek” Kyungsoo said, ‘We’ll get to the bottom of this. I promise”

“I want to see him” Baekhyun whispered, getting up but before he could, Kyungsoo and Suho stopped him.

“Now might not be the right time” Kyungsoo said. “Let’s go home and rest while Suho can call Sehun and we can work something out”

“No” Baekhyun screamed. “I want to see him right now. I want to know why he forgot me”

The tears he’d been holding on to, came back again.

He tried to rush into the interrogation room but this time, Jongdae stopped him.

“Baekhyun” he said. “Go home. Please”

Baekhyun shook his head frantically. “I am not going anything till someone makes me understand what’s happening”

He then turned to Suho. “Get me Anne”

“Listen to me Baek” Suho began. “We need to leave, you’re starting to draw attention. You can talk to Anne at home”

“NO GET HER HERE RIGHT NOW”

“Fine. Fine, calm down. I’ll call her”

Handing Baekhyun a glass of water, Kyungsoo turned to Jongdae. “Is there a place Baekhyun can rest in while Anne comes?”

Jongdae nodded. “The captain’s cabin” he said, pointing to a door on the far right.

Kyungsoo thanked him and proceeded to take Kyungsoo there but Baekhyun became defensive again.

“We’re not leaving the HQ” Kyungsoo assured him. “We’re just going to that cabin there, okay?”

Baekhyun didn’t respons but followed. As long as he was not leaving, it was fine.

Once they were in the cabin, Kyungsoo asked Baekhyun to lie down for a bit.

Baekhyun nodded. “Just for a bit” he said. “Wake me up when Anne arrives”

“I will”

Anne arrived not long after that.

She rushed into the HQ and headed straight for the cabin, looking for Baekhyun.

“Where is he?”

“Wait there” Kyungsoo said, blocking the door. “I need to ask you some questions first”

Anne turned to Suho. “Can you help him understand that this is not the time?”

Suho shook his head. “Sorry Anne. After everything Kyungsoo’s told me about you appearing when they were summoning the tamer of Devil, I am afraid Kyungsoo is right in what he’s doing”

Anne gave out a frustrated sigh.

“Fine” she said, giving up. “What do you want to know now?”

“The protection charm Baekhyun used, was it the same one you used too?”

“In a way yes and no”

“Stop talking in riddles Anne” Kyungsoo yelled. “You are in no position for that right now”

“Okay” Anne growled. “I’ll tell you.”

She took a pause and breathed out. “Remember the time Chanyeol was found in Baekhyun’s office?”

Kyungsoo nodded.

“It wasn’t like he went there because he wanted a place to hide. It was because I drew him there” Anne sais.

“What do you mean you drew him there?”

“The first murder, I ignored” Anne said. “Thinking, hoping, in fact that it was someone amature who had just read a few books and wanted to be in a cult or something. But the second murder confirmed what I was afraid of. That it was happening again. That someone was trying to control the devil again. I wanted to use the protection charm on Chanyeol so I could minimize the damage, if not control it. The spell kind of backfired and instead of being protected, Chanyeol ended up hiding in the place where the spell was cast”

“Why did you do it in Baekhyun’s office?”

“I didn’t have anything of Chanyeol to cast the spell with so I needed something of Baekhyun because…”

“Because what?” Suho asked.

“Because back then, the bond between them still existed. I coulnd’t just go to Baekhyun’s house and do the spell. So I chose the office”

“And that charm failed?”

Anne nodded.

“Why?” Kyungsoo asked. “Why did it fail?”

“I am guessing because he was still under the influence of the magic spell by the killer. When I cast mine, it kind of confused Chanyeol and instead of being protected, he ended up in hiding”

Kyungsoo waited, for Anne to continue.

“Did you do the spell again?”

Anne nodded. “The night you guys summoned me, I was in the middle of another protection spell once I knew the magic had worn off.”

“Did that fail too?”

“Yes. First, you summoned me and then when I was doing it again, Chanyeol was summoned once more. So he was not entirely protected when he was summoned”

Kyungsoo thought about it for a moment. “I knew there was something odd about the last two murders.” He said. “In the first two, Chanyeol was in complete haze, unable to recall anything and was covered in blood while in the last two, he remembers he tried to help those people and only his hands were covered in blood”

Anne confirmed his suspicion. “The spell I used was only partially affective. It didn’t protect him from being summoned but it did stop him from being mind-controlled”

Kyungsoo went silent for a minute.

“Baekhyun told me he did a protection spell too?”

“He did” Anne said. “I tried to stop him but he wouldn’t listen”

“This just doesn’t make sense.” Suho said. “How does he know he can do spells?”

Anne turned towards Kyungsoo sharply. “I thought you told him”

Kyungsoo put his hands in the air. “I didn’t”

“Do you think…” Suho began. “Do you think he heard you guys?”

Anne thought about it for a moment. Baekhyun was very desperate to protect Chanyeol. So much so that he didn’t even care what the implications of the spell would be. “It’s possible” she said. “I think he knows he’s the only who has to kill Chanyeol when he’s turned into a monster and that is why he’s willing to do anything to prevent that from happening”

Kyungsoo hovered his head towards the glass panel on the door and peeked inside. Baekhyun was sleeping.

“You fool” Kyungsoo muttered under his breath.

“Now Suho tells me that Chanyeol doesn’t remember Baekhyun?”

Kyungsoo nodded. “He remembered Suho and me but not Baekhyun. Do you think it was because of the spell?”

Anne shrugged. “I don’t know. I gave him the same spell I had used myself and I told him that doing this spell would break the bond and I didn’t know what would happen”

Kyungsoo was confused for a moment.

“Wait” he said. “Why would a protection charm break a bond? Also, why was there a bond to begin with? I thought it broke completely the first time”

Anne shook her head. “Baekhyun is the bringer of Devil. That bond can’t just be broken. It was like 95% of the bond was broken because of the ritual but the remaining 5% still existed”

“And this spell broke it? Why?”

“Protecting the Devil requires a lot of strength and power and it required the purest form of magic. I have ancient magic in my blood and even I can’t do it as effectively as the True One can. And in order for Baekhyun to access that magic, the bond had to be broken that was taming his powers”

“Hold on” Suho interrupted. “So it was not the spell that broke the bond but the bond broke so the spell could work? So Baekhyun could unleash his true powers?”

“Yes” Anne said.

“Even if the bond broke” Suho continued, “Baekhyun still remembers Chanyeol. So why did he forget Baekhyun?”

“I don’t know” Anne said. “I’ve never seen something like this before”

Kyungsoo and Suho were still trying to figure things out when Anne spoke up.

“Do you mind if I talk to Chanyeol once before I see Baekhyun?”

Both Kyungsoo and Suho nodded, asking Jongdae to take her to Chanyeol.

Then they went in to check on Baekhyun.

“Baek” Suho said, softly nudging him. “Baek wake up”

“Hmm?” Baekhyun muttered, hoisting himself up on the couch. “Is Anne here?”

Kyungsoo nodded.

“Where is she?”

“She’s talking to Chanyeol to figure out what happened”

“I need to go too” Baekhyun said, trying to get up.

Both of them knew it would be impossible to stop Baekhyun now that Anne was here. So they accompanied him.

Baekhyun stood outside the interrogation room, hand hovering over the knob, hesitation rising in his veins.

He wanted more than anything to go in and talk to Chanyeol but he was scared. What if Chanyeol said that he didn’t want to see him again? Baekhyun knew he wouldn’t be able to take it.

Suho sensed the reluctance Baekhyun showed. He placed a hand on his shoulder. “Why don’t we go to the screening room and watch from there?”

Baekhyun gave a curt not and they all went to the room attached to the interrogation room, that would give them access to everything going on inside.

Anne and Chanyeol were still in the middle of a conversation when the three of them went into the screening room.

“… and you felt a sudden pain?”

Baekhyun looked at Suho and Kyungsoo for answers on what Anne was talking about but they were as clueless as Baekhyun.

They watched Chanyeol nod. “I was probably in the middle of my sleep when a sudden pain jolted through my body”

“Do you remember what time it was?”

“A little after 8 pm” Jongdae answered, who was standing there with Anne.

Baekhyun recalled that was around the time he’d started the protection spell.

“And when the pain stopped?” Anne asked.

Chanyeol looked at Jongdae. “He passed out for a few minutes” Jongdae said. “But when he woke up, he was fine”

“Except that he doesn’t remember Baekhyun”

“Who is that Baekhyun guy?” Chanyeol asked. ‘Must be someone important for you all to stress over it so much”

“Baekhyun is the guy you loved, Chanyeol” Anne said as a matter of factly.

Maybe everyone watching him was expecting him to give off some sort of emotions but what he did, was not any of them expected.

“Love?” Chanyeol laughed, “You’re saying I, the Devil, fell in love with a human?”

A momentary silence followed. “You all must be out of your minds” Chanyeol continued. “That’s impossible”

A sharp pang gripped Baekhyun in his heart, making it impossible for him to breathe.

“Chanyeol” Anne said, “Do you remember coming to earth?”

Chanyeol nodded.

“Who was the first person you saw?”

“Its was…” Chanyeol began and Baekhyun waited with bated breath.

“It was…” Chanyeol said again but his voice trailed off. He gave out a fake lough. “Wait, I know who it was… I just need a minute to think”

Anne nodded. “Think for as long as you like”

“I know who it was. I can remember…”

Baekhyun leaved over the counter, hanging on to the last threads of hope.

“I..” Chanyeol continued.

“Do you remember who pulled you out of Purgatory?”

“Yes” Chanyeol said. “It was…”

And again, his voice trailed off.

Chanyeol looked at both Jongdae and Anne. “It’s like I know who it was, but I can’t remember. My memories are full of that person but all I see is blank when it comes to his face”

“Do you want me to tell you who it was?” Anne asked.

“Yes” Chanyeol said. “I need to know”

“It was…” Anne began but the door to the room suddenly bust open and in walked Suho.

“Anne” he said. “Let’s go”

“But I was just about to…”

“Let’s go Anne” Suho asserted and even she know that when Suho said something so seriously, she better not take it lightly.

“We’ll see each other soon” Anne said, turning to Chanyeol and before he could ask her to name the person in his memories, she already left.

Baekhyun had no idea of how time was flying for him. Some hours, felt like minutes when his memories conjured images of Chanyeol laughing and kissing him. Some hours felt like years when all he could think of what that he was a forgotten memory in Chanyeol’s life.

It had taken all his strength to tell Suho to go and get Anne from the interrogation room before she told Chanyeol that the man in his memories was in fact, Baekhyun himself. He didn’t want himself to be planted in Chanyeol’s memories by someone else. He wanted Chanyeol to remember him. To smile at him like he always did as his eyes lit up on the sight of Baekhyun. To tell him again that his touch made him feel calm. To remember the promises they had made to each other. He wanted Chanyeol to remember each fight they had, each argument they had, the time of separation they spent because those were the moments that made their love stronger.

Baekhyun didn’t want to be someone who had to ask about to remember. He wanted to be the most important memory he carried in himself.

Jongdae had advised him not to visit the HQ anymore because he was starting to piss the Captain off. The day after Chanyeol lost his memory of Baekhyun, he sat in the waiting chair all day, as if him being there would bring Chanyeol’s memory back.

The next day, he begged Jongdae to let him see Chanyeol but each time Jongdae went to fetch him, Chanyeol refused visitation.

The third day, Baekhyun fought with the Captain to let him see Chanyeol until he was forced out of the HQ.

It had been five days now. Five days since he’d seen Chanyeol or heard his voice.

If Baekhyun had known Chanyeol would forget him like this, he would have made their time together more meaningful. He would have spent extra time loving him.

If he had known this would happen, Baekhyun wouldn’t have let go of Chanyeol in the first place, all those months ago when they were still bonded together.

It was on the sixth day that things changed.

Kyungsoo and Suho hadn’t left Baekhyun’s side since that day at the HQ. They were practically camping in Baekhyun’s house.

“Has he eaten anything?” Kyungsoo asked.

Kyungsoo shook his head. “All his meals have been untouched”

“He’ll kill himself like this, Kyungsoo”

Kyungsoo drowned his face in his hands, unable to find a solution to this.

“Do you think I should talk to Jongdae once more?” Suho asked. “See if Baek can see Chanyeol?”

Kyungsoo shook his head. “He’s refused all his past visitation, I doubt he’ll accept now”

“I can’t just sit here and do nothing” Suho snapped.

“Hey” Kyungsoo said. “Calm down. I know you’re doing your best but I need you to be calm okay”

Suho shook his head. “I can’t stay calm Kyungsoo. Chanyeol’s not meeting Baekhyun, Baekhyun had stopped eating food or drinking water, Sehun isn’t answering my summons, what am I supposed to do?”

“I don’t know, okay?” Kyungsoo snapped back. “But I need you to keep your shit together because I don’t know what I’ll do if I lose you too”

Suho noticed that Kyungsoo’s eyes had moistened. In all the years of knowing him, Suho had never seen Kyungsoo cry. So he could only imagine the gravity of the situation if it brought him to tears.

“I’m sorry” Suho immediately offered. “I’m sorry. I guess I am just stressed”

“I know” Kyungsoo said. “But we can’t break, Suho. For Baekhyun’s sake we have to keep it together”

Suho nodded. “I just wish Jongdae would find a way out for Baekhyun”

Suddenly, something clicked in Kyungsoo’s mind.

“Hold on” he said, fishing his phone out of his pocket.

“What are you doing?” Suho asked.

“Calling Jongdae”

Jongdae arrived at Baekhyun’s house late in the evening, after his shift was over.

“Did you bring it?” Kyungsoo asked, as he opened the door.

Jongdae nodded as he went in.

“Do you want me to get Baekhyun?” Suho asked once Jongdae was inside.

“No” Kyungsoo said, smiling. “He’ll come downstairs on his own”

Baekhyun had been lying on his bed for three straight days. A plate of food and water laid untouched on the bedside table. Suho must have kept it there but Baekhyun did not know when. He had no care for food, or water.

He looked at the pillow he was clutching to his chest. Bringing it up to his face, Baekhyun buried himself in his and breathed deeply.

He then tossed it aside, tears forming in his eyes again.

The pillow didn’t even smell like Chanyeol anymore.

A wave of panic rose across his chest. He needed something, anything that would remind him of what Chanyeol smelled like.

Baekhyun stumbled out of his bed and rushed to the cupboard.

He pulled a few of the clothes out and smelled them. No. they were all freshly washed.

There were some clothes in the corner of the room. Among those was a t-shirt Chanyeol had worn the day before he was arrested.

Baekhyun was about to rush to the pile when he suddenly heard someone speak.

“Hey, you can’t cheat, okay?”

“Chanyeol” Baekhyun whispered and turned towards the door, rushing downstairs.

Everything was set up as they had planned. Jongdae connected his phone to the large TV in the living room and Suho connected the speakers to it as well.

The moment Kyungoo hit play, the TV came alive with a video of Chanyeol playing cards with people Kyungsoo didn’t recognize.

He was in the prison cafeteria at the HQ, sitting on a table, surrounded by a few others.

“It’s my turn” someone said.

“No it’s my turn” Chanyeol argued.

“It was your turn last time, Boss”

“Hey, you can’t cheat, okay? I said it’s my turn, so it’s my turn”

“Are you sure he’ll come downstairs?” Suho asked, staring at the stairs along with Jongdae and Kyungsoo. All eyes were fixed on the other side of the TV where they were expecting Baekhyun to show up.

“Shh” Kyungsoo said and in the very next moment, Baekhyun came rushing down.

“Told ya” Kyungsoo beamed.

“Chanyeol” Baekhyun exclaimed, voice weak and shaky. “Where’s Chanyeol?”

All three pointed at the screen and Baekhyun’s eyes followed.

He took tiny, scared steps towards the couch, mesmerized by what he was watching.

Kyungsoo and Suho looked at each other and smiled, reveling on the fact that the plan worked.

That was step one, to get Baekhyun out of bed.

Step two was to get him to eat.

And both knew just what to do.

Kyungsoo played the next clip when the first one ended and just before he was about to, Suho sat down beside Baekhyun with a plate of food in his hands.

Kyungoo hit play again and the video that surfaced, was of Chanyeol standing in line for the food.

He had s tray in his hand, ready to get everything that was on display.

Baekhyun watched as Chanyeol went from one person to the other as they put food on his tray, thanking each one of them and bowing slightly.

Baekhyun smiled. Even for a devil, he was quite polite.

Once he reached the end of the food table, the person standing at the end put a fried egg on his plate.

“He loves fried eggs” Baekhyun exclaimed and then he saw that the server put another one on top of the first one when Chanyeol flashed his smile.

Right at that moment, Suho placed a bowl of porridge on Baekhyun’s hand but the latter was too occupied in Chanyeol to notice.

Chanyeol walked to one of the lunch tables that was almost empty and took the last seat. Before he sat down, everyone else stood up, saluted him and only sat down when Chanyeol asked them to be at ease.

“What’s happening?” Baekhyun asked, curiously.

“Well your boyfriend kind of runs the prison now” Jongdae said. “He’s made everyone else his minion”

Baekhyun laughed lightly. It wasn’t unexpected of him. Chanyeol always did behave like he was still the King of Hell, even when he was on earth.

Baekhyun’s face lit up when he saw Chanyeol take a bit out of the fried egg.

“Is the food good there?” Baekhyun asked. “Has he complained? He doesn’t like spicy food, you know? His face goes all red and he looks like he’s been crying for hours”

“The food’s good, Baek” Jongdae said. “And no he doesn’t complain. The taste is to his liking”

“Okay” Baekhyun said and went back to viewing the screen.

Suho quietly placed his hand over Baekhyun’s before making him grab the spoon. Then, he lightly picked some food up on it and took it to Baekhyun’s mouth.

On screen, Chanyeol was just about to bite into something and in Baekhyun’s house, Suho slightly whispered to Baekhyun to say ‘aa’.

Without even realizing it, Baekhyun opened his mouth and Suho fed him the first bite, smiling in satisfaction.

After that, Baekhyun took a bite on his own, each time Chanyeol did.

They moved from that video to a couple more and by the time the show was over, Baekhyun had emptied the entire bowl of porride.

“Isn’t there more?” Baekhyun asked.

Jogdae shook his head. “This was all I could capture today”

“Thank you” Baekhyun said, tears filling his eyes again. “Thank you so much”

“Don’t thank me” Jongdae said. “Thank Kyungsoo, it was his idea”

Baekhyun swiftly turned towards him. “It was?”

Kyungsoo shrugged. “Well we couldn’t bring you to Chanyeol so we brought him to you”

“Thank you so much, Kyungsoo” Baekhyun said. “I don’t think any amount of gratitude will ever be enough”

“I don’t need gratitude, Baek” Kyungsoo said. “I just need you to promise me that you’ll never do what you’ve been doing for the past three days. I need you to be alive, do you understand?”

Baekhyun nodded. “I’m sorry” he said. “I was just in a bad place. But I feel better knowing that at least he’s happy.”

He then turned to Jongdae. “Is it possible for you to get me more videos of him?” Baekhyun asked, hopeful. “It doesn’t have to be everyday. Whenever you can, but can you please?”

Jongdae turned hesitant.

“Baek” he said. “I don’t know how to tell you this…”

“What?” Baekhyun asked, panicking again. “What is it?”

Jongdae rubbed the back of his neckm nervous.

“Just tell us Jongdae” Kyungsoo said.

“The higher ups want to close the case” he began. “The pressure from the public is huge”

“So?” Suho asked.

Jongdae reached for his bag and pulled a file out.

He took the CCTV photos of Chanyeol and placed them on the table.

It was a still shot of Chanyeol entering the lot where the two murders took place.

“You see this?” he asked, pointing to the timestamp at the bottom corner.

All three nodded.

“It’s 3.16 am when Chanyeol entered the lot” Jongdae said and then took another paper out.

It was the coroner’s report from the autopsy done on the two people who were found.

“The report says the time of death is 3.03 am”

By then, all three had put the pieces together.

“You…” Baekhyun began. “You have proof that Chanyeol isn’t the murderer?”

Jongdae nodded.

“So what’s the problem?” Kyungsoo asked.

“That’s the problem” Jongdae said, confusing everyone. “The bosses want Captain Minseok to close the case but if this evidence comes out, we go back to square one”

“Wait” Suho interrupted. “So you’re saying this evidence won’t ce considered?”

“My boss has been told by the higher ups to get rid of the CCTV footage so that we can indict Chanyeol”

“No” Baekhyun shrieked, getting up and tossing the bowl from his hand. “You can’t do this Jongdae”

“I know” he said. “That’s why I stole this file. It’s the last piece of evidence there is that can prove Chanyeol’s innocent”

“What if we take the evidence to the police?” Kyungsoo asked.

“The police want him indicted, Kyungsoo” Jongdae reminded him.

“Right” Kyungsoo said. “Can we take it to the media?”

“No” Suho interrupted. “We can risk exposing who Chanyeol is”

Jongdae nodded. “That’s risky. But that’s not it. The media is in it with the police” Jongdae said. “Anything you ask them to publish, first goes through the police”

“Can’t your boss help?” Baekhyun asked.

“Captain Minseok is the one who gave me this” Jongdae said, pointing to the evidence. “Saying this is as much he can do to help. He doesn’t want to lose his job over this”

Kyungsoo paced in the living room. “Fuck” he said. “This is so fucked up”

“I think you all should leave” Baekhyun said suddenly.

“Baek…” Suho said.

“Don’t worry about me” Baekhyun said. “I won’t hole up in my room anymore and I will eat”

“Then why do you want us to leave?”

“I just need some alone time to think” he said. “I promise I won’t act like I’ve been acting for the past three days”

“We can’t just leave you like this” Kyungsoo said. “What if one of us stays back?”

Baekhyun shook his head. “I’ll be fine. You can keep calling me every hour to check on me”

That sounded like a fair deal.

“Okay” Kyungsoo said. “You better pick our calls within the first three rings or I’m coming back”

Baekhyun gave out an empathetic smile. “I promise”

Once all three left, Baekhyun rushed to the kitchen where he had kept the Book of Necessities. He flipped through each page, trying to find something that may help Chanyeol break out of that place. He spent hours on the internet, searching for spells that might be of help.

He didn’t even realize when he fell asleep on top of the Book of Necessities right there at the kitchen table.

He had tried all night to find answers and slept when he got tired, still clueless.

But when he woke up the next day, he knew what he needed to do.

Picking his keys up, Baekhyun walked out of the house, ready to drive off.

A loud bang woke Kyungsoo up.

He opened his eyes and rubbed them vigorously, thinking that he was perhaps dreaming. Just as he was about to hit the pillow again, the banging started once more.

“I’m coming” Kyungsoo said, dead-walking his way through the room to the door.

When he opened it, he saw Anne standing there, anger evident on her face.

“Anne?” Kyungsoo asked and Anne swung the door open to walk inside. Once she did, she immediately reached out and grabbed Kyungsoo’s ears, twisting it to the world’s end.

“Owww” Kyungsoo screamed in pain. “Anne, what the fuck?”

Anne twisted his ears once more, making him wince even further. “Doh Kyungsoo” she began. “I told you Baekhyun would do something stupid and I told you to stop him, didn’t I?”

“Let me go” Kyungsoo cried. “It fucking hurts”

Anne gave his ear one more twist and Kyungsoo dropped to his knees in agony. “Okay I am sorry” he cried. “What did Baekhyun do? He was fine last night”

Anne finally let his ear go. “He went to the police HQ and confessed to the murders of the four people.”


	20. Chapter 20

_**You’re the dream that drifts by** _   
_**Every now and then** _   
_**You’re the moment I live forever** _   
_**Even when it’s not enough** _   
_**Even when I am a lost memory to you** _

It was unnerving. The wait.

Baekhyun had been led into the investigation room and asked to sit there, waiting and it had been over an hour now, yet no one had visited the place.

Although, Baekhyun wasn't sure if it was a good thing or bad. To have him wait meant they believed him, right? That Chanyeol would be free? But shouldn’t someone have come by now to tell him the same?

Was it foolish for him to have just come and confessed?

Before driving to the police HQ, Baekhyun was convinced that the plan would work. That it was a good plan. But in all honesty, his plan ended with him confessing to the murders. He had nothing for the aftermath.

Occasionally Baekhyun would hear people talking outside the door but then the voices disappeared. They would talk about how Chanyeol was supposed to be prosecuted today but because of Baekhyun’s confession, things have been fucked up.

Despite that, none of them came inside to talk to him.

Even Jongdae hadn’t come to see him since he put him inside the room.

What was going on?

The door finally opened and to Baekhyun’s delight, Jongdae walked in with a file in his hand.

He took a seat on the opposite and sighed.

“What were you thinking, Baekhyun?”

“Are you going to let Chanyeol out?” Baekhyun asked.

Jongdae just stared at him, wondering how stupid he could be. “Did you actually think you confessing would let him out?”

“It has to” Baekhyun said. “Ask me anything. I know every detail of the murders”

“That’s not enough” Jongdae said. “Most of the details were already published by the press. And what you’ve said so far, only matches that. It’s not evidentiary”

“Jongdae you know Chanyeol is innocent and they’re going to charge him for something he didn't do. You have to let him out now”

“Baek” Jongdae began. “You’re innocent too”

Baekhyun banged his fist on the table in anger. “Just do as I say”

“The law doesn’t work like that”

“Well make it work then”

Jongdae rubbed his forehead in frustration and opened the file in front of him.

“Fine” he began. “You say you committed the murders. Can you tell me something that hasn’t been on the news? Something that only the police would know?”

Baekhyun thought about it for a minute.

What could he possibly know that hadn’t been out yet?

“The first victim was… was a student of Seoul University of Refined Arts. He was Kai’s student”

“That’s common knowle…” Jongdae began but Baekhyun cut him off.

“No it’s not. The papers mentioned he was a university student and his age. Nowhere was it mentioned which university or which course. None of them mentioned who his teacher was”

Jongdae gave out a sigh. “But these kinds of things aren’t difficult to find. I need something more if you want to surrender so bad, which is also stupid, if I may add”

Baekhyun scratched the back of his head. What more could he provide?

So far all he knew was that when these victims were killed, their hearts were ripped out and they were marked with symbols. Also the fact that they were all killed at three except the last two murders, first of which happened at 3 and second of which happened at 3.03.

“I know the exact time of deaths of the victims, especially the last two”

Jongdae started at Baekhyun in surprise, never expecting that the information _he_ gave out last light, would be used in such a treacherous manner.

“Baekhyun” Jongdae began to whisper. “You… you can’t say that. I know you got that information from me”

Baekhyun shrugged. “Do you want me to tell them that? Do you want to lose your job? Do you want to see someone innocent go to jail for something he didn’t do?”

“But you’re innocent too goddamnit”

“Jongdae” Baekhyun said, placing a hand over his, “You came to me last night because believe it or not, you were worried about Chanyeol too, that he’ll be prosecuted when he’s not at fault. So please, let me do this”

“What about you then?” Jongdae asked. “Do you expect me to sit still and watch you take the blame for someone else? The killer is committing double murders now”

Baekhyun shook his head but something struck him. “Double murders” Baekhyun gasped. “That’s right. How could I have overlooked this?”

“What?”

“Think about it Jongdae, the time gap between the first two murders was long, between the second and the third was shorter and the third and fourth happened on the same night, 3 minutes apart.”

“Yeah, so? The killer’s just impatient, I suppose”

“I think so too” Baekhyun said. “I think he’s going to kill again”

“Really?”

Baekhyun nodded. “He’s desperate. He wants to get over with this quickly”

“What does that have to do with you?”

Baekhyun felt a disgust inside himself when he realized what he was going to say. “While I am in prison, the killer is going to strike again and it will prove that I… I am not the killer”

Baekhyun felt nauseated at the thought. Someone would have to die for Baekhyun to be free. He would rather stay in jail forever.

Jongdae saw the fear in Baekhyun’s face. “Let Chanyeol be here” he said. “It’s better if he is proven innocent than you are”

“No” Baekhyun said, “I heard your officers. They’re indicting him today. That can’t happen. Just arrest me and let him go. I am sure by the time your lazy department draws up the paper to prosecute me, the killer will have…”

Baekhyun did not have it in him to finish that sentence. Better hang the blame of it over his own head than Chanyeol’s.

Jongdae didn’t know how but it kind of made sense. To file a charge and to get a court order would take two days minimum. Then there would be three to four more days to get things in place and get a court date for a hearing. If Baekhyun was right and if the killer struck again in this time period, it would mean Baekhyun was innocent.

But…

Jongdae turned to Baekhyun. “Baek, with you inside and Chanyeol free, I am sure the higher-ups would try to accuse Chanyeol again if another murder was committed”

Baekhyun had not thought of that.

“Fuck” Baekhyun muttered. “I forgot they want Chanyeol charged under any circumstances”

Jongdae nodded. “Just go home, Baekhyun” he said. “If the killer does strike again, it would mean Chanyeol can go free”

“I can’t just go home and do nothing”

“Then find something else to do that has nothing to do with you confessing to murders you didn’t commit. I am sure there will be another murder soon”

Baekhyun hated this. He hated how helpless he was.

“It’s horrible though, that another innocent has to die for Chanyeol to be proved innocent”

Jongdae patted his hand. “It’s not your fault Baek” he said. “Don’t feel guilty for something you can’t control. Just go home and have some rest. You look like a walking skeleton”

Baekhyun couldn’t believe that coming here and confessing to the murder yielded him no results. He couldn’t believe it was all for nothing and that he’d have to go back home now. To an empty house, without Chanyeol.

“Can I see Chanyeol once, please?” he asked, hope gripping him from the inside.

Jongdae wanted to say no but he didn’t have the heart to.

“Fine. I’ll go check if he wants to meet”

It was a long wait. Longer than what it was the first time. Or maybe it was all just in Baekhyun’s head because in reality, only 10 minutes had passed.

It was funny how time became relative in situations such as these. It passed way quicker than one would like when there was something dreadful waiting but it was as slow as a snail when they looked forward to it.

Tick tock, tick tock, the watch on Baekhyun’s wrist went on.

Finally when the door opened, Baekhyun was completely ready to see Jongdae come and tell him that Chanyeol didn’t want to see him.

But the gorgeous make of a 6 feet tall man, striding inside with his hair shuffled and his shirt sleeves folded up to expose the cuts on his biceps, knocked the breath out of Baekhyun.

Baekhyun made a mental note that no video or photo could justify what Chanyeol looked like in real life. Also that Jongdae was an absolutely shitty videographer.

“Ssup?” Chanyeol asked when he saw Baekhyun and took the seat on the opposite.

“Is it okay if it’s just the two of us?” Baekhyun asked Jongdae who was completely hidden behind Chanyeol until the latter took a seat.

Jongdae hesitated for a second but finally nodded, walking out and closing the door behind him.

“Hi” Baekhyun finally said.

“You asked to see me?”

Baekhyun nodded. “Do you still not remember me?”

Chanyeol stared at him for a moment and cleared his throat. “I’ll answer that question if you promise me something”

“Anything” Baekhyun said, desperation reeking from his voice. “Anything”

“Promise me you won’t cry because I can’t really stand humans who cry like a baby”

Baekhyun pursed his lips. He did not even have to hear the rest to know that Chanyeol didn’t remember him. His Chanyeol, the old Chanyeol, would never have said what he just said.

Instead, Baekhyun smiled. “You know at my company, my employees call me ‘The Devil’”

Chanyeol laughed, “No way, really?”

Baekhyun nodded. “They think I am an evil boss who doesn’t know anything except work”

“Are you?” Chanyeol asked. “An evil boss?”

“I don’t know” Baekhyun said. “Never really thought about it before”

“Well there must be a reason why they named you the Devil”

Baekhyun shrugged. “What does it mean?” he asked. “To be the Devil?”

Chanyeol thought about it for a moment. He had been ruling Hell for centuries now. But no one had ever asked him what it meant be the Devil.

“I guess it means to be dutiful of your responsibilities, even if you don’t like them. It means to be able to do what is expected of you, even if the thought makes you sick. It means…”

“What?”

“It means to be lonely because who would want to be with something so evil?”

 _I would,_ Baekhyun thought.

“I don’t think you’re evil, Chanyeol”

“Oh yeah?” Chanyeol asked, faking a laugh. “And how would you know?”

“I just do” he said. “There are some things that you just know”

Chanyeol smiled slightly and Baekhyun knew his words had been appreciated by him.

“You said your name was Baekhyun, right?” Chanyeol asked.

“That’s right”

Chanyeol was about to ask something but just then, the door to the interrogation room flung open and Kyungsoo walked in, filled with wrath.

“You stupid piece of shit” he said, looking at Baekhyun. “What the fuck were you thinking?”

“Soo” Baekhyun said and immediately got up. “Calm down”

“Calm down? How the fuck am I supposed to calm down when you…”

Baekhyun cut him off. “When I was just visiting Chanyeol?”

“Wh… what?” Kyungsoo looked from Baekhyun to Chanyeol, only then to realize that he was in the room too.

“Hey Kyungsoo” Chanyeol said, waving his hand at him.

Kyungsoo didn’t understand so he waved back. “What is happening?” Kyungsoo asked. “Does he remember…”

“I was just visiting him. We are almost done” Baekhyun quickly added. “We can go home after that”

Kyungsoo was utterly confused. But he knew Baekhyun enough to know that for some reason, he didn’t want Chanyeol knowing what he had planned to do.

“Can you wait outside?” Baekhyun asked but Kyungsoo didn’t move.

“I am not moving an inch until you walk out with me”

Baekhyun sighed and turned back to Chanyeol. “I think I will have to go now”

Chanyeol nodded. “Okay” he said. “Can I ask you one thing though?”

“Sure” Baekhyun said, “What is it?”

“It’s about the my summoner”

A heavy silence followed before anyone spoke.

“Wh… what about him?” Baekhyun said, finding his voice.

“Do anyone of you know where he is or where I can find him?”

The words knocked all reasoning out of Baekhyun. He had to grip his hands on the edges of the table to find the strength to stand.

“He… he’s indispensible” Kyungsoo interjected when he saw Baekhyun struggling.

“We’ll let you know when he’s back”

“Okay” Chanyeol said with a tiny smile. “Please find whoever is doing this. I really want to go back home and for some reason, I keep wanting to eat Suho’s burgers”

Kyungsoo stared at Chanyeol, dumbfounded. “Of all the things you remember, Suho’s burgers are the only thing you miss?”

“Well I miss Netflix too”

“You’re hopeless” Kyungsoo shot at him and then turned towards Baekhyun. “Let’s go”

Baekhyun was back home, with his plan that had monumentally failed and two friends who stood guard over him like he was a second away from doing something stupid again.

“Seriously Baek” Suho said as he walked to the kitchen to make something for Baekhyun to eat. “What were you thinking?”

“I wasn’t” Baekhyun answered. “All I knew was that it was the only way to get Chanyeol out. You know he’s getting indicted today, aren’t you?”

Suho sighed and turned to Kyungsoo. “Give it to him”

Kyungsoo, who was standing over Baekhyun with his arms crossed, walked over to the table and retrieved what looked like a file before handing it over to Baekhyun.

“What is it?” Baekhyun asked.

“Chanyeol won’t get indicted today” was all Suho said and turned around to toast some bread.

Baekhyun looked at Kyungsoo for answers but all he got was a deadly glare so he opened the file himself.

There were a bunch of loose papers inside which looked like forms and legal documents.

Only when Baekhyun saw Chanyeol’s name on it, did he realize what they were.

“You… stole these documents from the police Headquarters?” He bellowed suddenly.

Suho turned around. “Well… not technically”

Baekhyun looked at Suho, in utter disbelief. “What do you mean by _not technically?”_

“I didn’t steal it from the police Headquarters” he said.

“Suho” Baekhyun emphasized, “What did you do?”

“He got the papers from the prosecutor’s office”

“The… the prosecutor’s office?” Baekhyun was very close to screaming now. “You know that’s a crime right?”

“As falsely confessing to murders isn’t?” Suho asked and it shut Baekhyun down immediately. “Besides, I didn’t actually steal anything. The prosecutor on this case is someone I know…”

“So he just gave you the file?” Baekhyun asked.

“Well I asked him to delay the proceedings but he said it was out of his control. He did help me tough. He said that the only way to postpone it would be if the files went missing. So…”

“So you stole them? What the fuck Suho?” Baekhyun asked in anger. “You know they have a copy at the police headquarters too, right?”

Kyungsoo retrieved another set of file and threw it on the table. “Not anymore”

Baekhyun stared at the file in front of him. “What the fuck is wrong with you two?”

“That we’re _your_ friends” Kyungsoo said.

“Have some faith in us Baek” Suho added. “You should have really come to us than walk up to confess to something you didn’t do”

“This is wrong” Baekhyun said. “I can’t believe I turned the two of you into criminals.”

“Don’t worry” Kyungsoo said. “If they find out what we did, we’ll just say you pressured us to do it”

Baekhyun looked at him in disbelief.

“I mean he kind of did” Suho added. “Had it not been for his stupidity, would we ever resort to breaking the law, Kyungsoo?”

Kyungsoo shook his head. “Absolutely not.”

“Absolutely not?” Baekhyun retorted at Kyungsoo. “You have several overdue parking and speeding tickets. You use our company discount on places they don’t apply and then threaten to sue them if they don’t accept the coupon. You literally went on an interrogation with Jongdae, pretending to be a cop who was pretending to be a priest. I have seen you walk into supermarkets and eat things in the aisle and then pretend like it never happened so you won’t have to pay but you end up paying fine because for some reason, you always forget there are CCTV cameras inside”

Suho chucked and Baekhyun turned to him. “Don’t even get me started on you. You literally ignore your patients to hang out in this house. When you are late, you park in the unauthorized zone because it’s closer to the entrance. You illegally downloaded music for an entire year before you bought a subscription. It was _you_ who stalked your ex online using a fake name and profile for 4 months until you realized you were being stupid. In high school, you repeatedly skipped school and sneaked into movie theatres to watch movies for free”

Baekhyun took a pause. “Do you want me to continue?”

“How I wish Chanyeol was here to shut you up right now” Kyungsoo said and Baekhyun gritted his teeth at him.

“Doesn’t matter” Suho said. “I know it wasn’t right, but at least it bought us time”

Baekhyun wanted to counter him but he knew Suho was right. It definitely would buy them time to think what to do next.

Suho was now frying eggs and making coffee when Kyungsoo got a call.

It was Anne.

“Hello?” he said as he picked up.

“Did you get Baekhyun back?” she asked.

“Yeah”

“Okay you need to come over to my place immediately”

“Why?” Kyungsoo asked.

“I think I might be able to help with finding out who is behind all this”

Kyungsoo didn’t even have to wait. “I’m on my way”

“And don’t tell Baekhyun anything about this”

“Got it” Kyungsoo said and hung up.

“Who was that?” Baekhyun asked once Kyungsoo was done talking.

“Someone from my team” Kyungsoo said. “There are some bugs that needs to be fixed before the update launch”

“I’ll come with you” Baekhyun said, getting up.

“No” Kyungsoo immediately yelled. “It’s a minor fix. We’ll be able to handle. Why don’t you stay with Suho and talk about how to get Chanyeol out?”

“But I haven’t been at the office in a very long time”

Kyungsoo placed an empathetic hand on Baekhyun’s shoulder. “It’s not something that requires your presence” he insisted and then turned to Suho, “Right Suho? Shouldn’t Baekhyun he here and figure out ways to help Chanyeol?” he ended with a wink which Suho immediately caught up with.

“Yeah” he said. “I might have some ideas”

Hearing that, Baekhyun nodded. He knew he had responsibilities at the work but currently, Chanyeol was a priority and Anne was taking good care of everything on his behalf anyway.

After Kyungsoo left, Suho brought over the plate of toast with butter and eggs along with the coffee he’d just made.

“Eat” he said. “I am sure you haven’t eaten anything since last night”

Baekhyun was not hungry. Or maybe he was. But food didn’t appeal to him right now.

“I can’t eat” Baekhyun said. “I don’t feel like it”

“Well you have to” Suho answered. “It’s not negotiable”

Suho handed him a piece of toast with butter on it and Baekhyun took a very reluctant bite.

“Do you really know the prosecutor or did you just randomly walk in and stole the file?”

Sighing, Suho leaned back on the couch. “I don’t know him personally, but my father does”

“Suho” Baekhyun exclaimed. “Did you ask your father for help?”

Suho shrugged and took a piece of toast for himself, treating this to be everything but grave. Baekhyun knew the relationship he had with his father. He knew that the man hated his son for being gay and he would leave no opportunity to insult him for it. And so Baekhyun knew what it must have taken Suho to go to him for help.

“I am so sorry” Baekhyun said, “for making you do this”

Suho looked at him and smiled. “You didn’t make me do anything Baek. It was my choice”

Baekhyun shook his head. “No” he said, “None of this would have happened if it wasn’t for my stupidity”

“That’s true” Suho asserted, “But it’s done now”

“So you asked your father for help and he just said yes?”

Suho laughed. “You think he would have just said yes?”

No, Baekhyun knew better. He was sure there was a condition.

“So what did he want in return?” Baekhyun asked.

Suho went still for a moment so brief that Baekhyun thought he had imagined it. “Nothing big” he said. “Something I can handle”

He knew Baekhyun would pester on so he tried to change the topic. “Did Chanyeol remember anything about you?”

Baekhyun shook his head in disappointment as a feeling of dread engulfed him. “He asked who his summoner was and when he could meet him”

“Why didn’t you tell him it was you?”

“I don’t know” Baekhyun said. “I don’t want to tell him it was me. I want him to remember. The way he looks at me is the way you’d look at a stranger. I don’t want to burden him with this information”

“And what about when he’s released? How are you going to keep him here with you without telling him who you are?”

“I haven’t thought that far yet. Maybe I’ll tell him I am a common friend who’s supposed to look after him till until the summoner returns”

“You should just tell him Baek”

“I can’t” Baekhyun said, his voice shaking now.

“Why?”

“Because I am afraid that he’ll reject me” a tear escaped Baekhyun’s eyes with the words. “A part of me can’t help but think that maybe, maybe Chanyeol fell in love with me because of the bond that existed. That none of it was real. That he wouldn’t have fallen for me under normal circumstances.”

“Isn’t that true for you too?” Suho asked. “If it was because of the bond, your love would have faded too, right?”

“But I didn’t lose my memories of him” Baekhyun said, tearing through this words. “Only he did. What if I tell him I am his summoner and he just tells me that it was all a mistake?”

Baekhyun was sobbing hysterically now and Suho didn’t know what to do.

He got up and sat beside Baekhyun, embracing him in a hug. “It’s okay” he said. “We’ll figure out what to do”

“Why exactly did you need me though?” Kyungsoo asked as he sat by the altar where Anne was setting up a huge bowl.

“The protection charm that the killer has, is too strong so I need something equally stronger”

“I have no idea what you just said”

Anne sighed as he handpicked a few herbs and threw them into the bowl. “Witch spells usually require blood of some sort” he said and poured in the other ingredients one after the other. “Animal blood usually suffices, the bigger the animal, the stronger the spell”

“Yeah, so?”

“So we usually make use of chicken blood or pig’s sometimes”

“When will you get to the point, Anne?” Kyungsoo asked in frustration.

“Can you place your hand over the bowl?”

Kyungsoo followed without question, still waiting for Anne to answer.

“But none of that has worked out so far” Anne said and suddenly grabbed Kyungsoo’s hand. Before she could warn him, she ran a blade through his palm, gushing a flow of thick red liquid right into the bowl.

“So I needed human blood”

“Fucking hell, Anne” Kyungsoo screamed. “You could have just told me”

“Then it wouldn’t be so much fun”

Before Kyungsoo could retort, Anne began chanting words Kyungsoo did not understand.

Anne wasn’t letting go of his hand for some reason and Kyungsoo found out why. Every few seconds, the bowl that collected all the ingredients, would shake a little with Anne’s chants. And every time it did, Anne squeezed Kyungsoo’s hand a little tighter for more drops of blood to flow into the bowl again.

This went on for what seemed like ages but were actually just a couple of minutes.

The final chant that Anne did, made everything in the bowl burst in flames and Kyungsoo withdrew his hand to save it from being burnt.

Once Anne had stopped chanting, Kyungsoo looked at her, waiting for answers.

But instead of saying anything, Anne just sat there, her eyes wide open, staring into something invisible past Kyungsoo.

“Anne?” Kyungsoo asked. “Are you okay?”

Upon hearing his words, Anne blinked and it seemed like she came back to her senses.

“Did it work? Did you find out who the killer is?”

Anne shook her head in disappointment. “My magic isn’t powerful enough. But…”

“But what?”

“I saw something. Or someone”

“Who was it?”

Anne hesitated because she didn’t have the answers herself.

“Before I tell you, I need to tell you how this spell works”

“Okay, fine”

“The spell I just did, wasn’t just a locator spell, it was also a projector spell”

“And that means what?”

“It means the spell can make me astrally project myself to wherever I want”

“I have no idea what you’re saying”

Anne sighed in frustration. “Think of it as being on the roof of a building and looking down at the people on the ground. Except, you’re not physically present there”

“Okay” Kyungsoo said. “So you had… let’s say a vision. Am I close?”

Anne nodded. “Kind of. It was like for a fraction of second, I was present there with the tamer of Devil”

“So what did you see?”

The hesitation was back again. “It was only for a second and I am not sure if it was correct. “

“Just tell me what you saw, Anne”

“I saw that cop friend of yours”

“Jongdae?” Kyungsoo asked in astonishment. “You saw Jongdae?”

Anne nodded and Kyungsoo didn’t know what to say anymore.

Kyungsoo came back to Baekhyun’s house close to midnight. He had left Anne’s place in the afternoon but he needed time for himself and to think over what Anne had told him. It had to be a mistake, Kyungsoo was sure. Magic and spells weren’t always perfect. Perhaps Anne made a mistake. There was no way Jongdae would be the one they were seeking.

After leaving Anne’s apartment, Kyungsoo drove to the police headquarters and parked his car outside the building for hours, convincing himself to confront Jongdae and then convincing him otherwise. His mind kept telling him that it was Kai, not Jongdae who was going this but despite that, there was a nagging in his brain asking him what if Anne was right?

Unable to find a solution, he finally went back to Baekhyun’s place, only to find him and Suho still up and sifting through the papers from the files they’d stolen.

“You’re awfully late” Suho said as Kyungsoo came in.

“I had some errands to run” Kyungsoo lied. “What are you guys doing?”

“Trying to find a loophole that can save Chanyeol” Baekhyun answered.

Kyungsoo walked over and sat on the couch beside Baekhyun, deciding to help him. Maybe that would take his mind off Jongdae and what Anne had told him.

“Did you find anything?” Kyungsoo asked.

Both Baekhyun and Suho shook their heads.

Kyungsoo picked up the file he’s taken from the police headquarters and his eyes fell on the bottom of each page that had the police seal and sign. It was all Jongdae’s.

Despite not wanting to think about it, Kyungsoo’s mind did wander off. Was it all actually his doing? If it was, wasn’t it a major inconvenience for him to have Chanyeol locked up? If he actually wanted to tame him, wouldn’t a free Devil serve a much easier purpose?

He shook the thought out of his head. There was no way it was him.

“Instead of trying to figure out a loophole, won’t it be easier if he try to find the killer?” Kyungsoo suggested.

“I’d like to but we have no leads” Baekhyun said.

“We have Kai as a prime suspect” Kyungsoo added.

Baekhyun shook his head. “It’s not Kai, Kyungsoo”

“How can you be so sure?”

“I don’t know. But I know him, he isn’t capable of this”

“How can you know what he’s capable of when all the time you were with him, you were hung up on Chanyeol?”

“Whoa” Suho intervened. “Calm down Kyungsoo”

“Am I lying though?” he asked, turning to Suho. “Who knows Kai even began doing this shit just to get back at Baekhyun and Chanyeol”

“Kyungsoo, what are you saying?” Baekhyun asked.

“Stop being dumb, Baek” Kyungsoo said, “None of this would have happened if you hadn’t decided to use Kai to your advantage”

“I never used Kai for anything” Baekhyun retorted.

“Oh stop pretending Baekhyun” Kyungsoo snapped. “When Chanyeol was in purgatory and you were down in the dumps, you used Kai as an emotional support and just chucked him off the moment Chanyeol came back. All you ever do is use people without thinking of the repercussions. In fact, you don’t think at all. Your stupid decision made me and Suho sneak files out of government facilities and to top that, your one stupid decision has probably ruined Suho’s life”

“What… what do you mean my decision has ruined Suho’s life?”

“Enough” Suho yelled at the two of them before turning to Kyungsoo. “You need to walk away right now” he said. “Go upstairs and get some sleep”

Kyungsoo didn’t move.

Baekhyun turned to Suho for answers. “What did he mean my decision ruined your life?”

“Nothing” Suho said. “He’s just rambling”

“Just tell him already” Kyungsoo said.

“I told you to go upstairs, didn’t I?”

Kyungsoo ignore him once more and turned to Baekhyun. “Did you know he had to go to his father to ask for help?”

Baekhyun nodded. He did know that.

“And did you know what his father asked in return?”

“Kyungsoo shut the fuck up” Suho warned but Kyungsoo was enraged.

“His father said the only way he’d help was if Suho agreed to marry the girl he’s been trying to force on her”

“Kyungsoo!!!” Suho yelled but all fell on deaf ears.

“Did you agree?” Baekhyun asked, looking at Suho. “Did you agree to the marriage?”

“What do you think you piece of shit?” Kyungsoo asked. He wasn’t sure where all this anger was coming from but he knew he needed to let it out.

“Suho…” Baekhyun began but before he could say anything further, Suho spoke.

“You know what, this is your mess” he said, pointing to Kyungsoo, “So you sort it out. I am not playing coach this time around”

He picked up his jacket and his car keys.

“Where are you going?” Baekhyun asked.

“I just can’t be here for now” Suho said and with that, he left.

Hours passed and Kyungsoo and Baekhyun sat in the living room, waiting for Suho to return but he didn’t. Tired and exhausted, neither realized when they fell asleep, right on the couch.

It was only after 10 am, that both of them opened their eyes when they heard someone open the front door.

They watched as Suho walked in with someone behind him.

Groggy from sleep, Baekhyun had to rub his eyes vigorously to see if he was mistaken, or perhaps simply hallucinating.

But he was not.

Standing there, in flesh and blood, right behind Suho, was Chanyeol.

“How… what… how?” Kyungsoo began muttering.

“Take a seat” Suho asked Chanyeol and the latter happily obliged.

“Did you steal him from the prison too?” Kyungsoo asked but Baekhyun paid no attention. He was too preoccupied by Chanyeol’s presence in the room.

“Calm down” Suho said. “I did not such thing”

“Then how is he out?”

Suho rubbed the back of his neck and took a seat on the couch as well. “Last night when I left, I drove aimlessly for a while before I thought I’d visit Jongdae to see if there was any loophole that we can take advantage of” he began. “But he was not there. When I reached the HQ, things were crazy”

“What do you mean crazy?”

“Meaning another murder had taken place, while Chanyeol was still locked up. Same MO, same time, same everything”

He paused. “I was at the HQ all this while, trying to sort things to get Chanyeol out” he said. ”It would have been easier and faster, if someone hadn’t stolen the papers to begin with”

“So… they just let him out?”

Suho shrugged. “Can’t commit murders from within the prison wall now, can he? They had to let him go”

“And you say Jongdae wasn’t there?” Kyungsoo asked.

Suho nodded. “I mean he wasn’t there when I was there, but shortly after, he arrived”

“And the murders had already happened by then?”

“Yes Kyungsoo” Suho said and turned to Baekhyun. “Can I talk to you for a sec?”

Baekhyun, still not taking his eyes off Chanyeol, nodded and followed Suho to the kitchen.

“I know you said you didn’t want him to know you’re the summoner, so I told him something else”

“What?” Baekhyun asked.

“That you’re a close friend and that you’ll be looking after him for the time being”

Baekhyun did not know what to say because merely thanking him wouldn’t be enough. “I am so sorry Suho”

“What for?”

“For everything” Baekhyun said. “For what happened with your father and for everything I have put you and Kyungsoo through”

“Oh shut up” Suho said. “Kyungsoo is just acting out. I am sure something is bothering him and he’s letting it out on you”

“You know you can’t get married to that girl, right?” Baekhyun asked.

Suho shook his head. “I know, but I don’t think I have a choice anymore”

“Please” Baekhyun said. “I’ll figure a way out. Just don’t commit to anything yet, okay? Promise me!”

“Fine” Suho said, “I won’t commit to anything yet. Let’s just focus on Chanyeol being back.”

Baekhyun nodded. “Thank you for bringing him back”

“Thank the killer for killing again” Suho said. “That sounded way better in my head” he confessed and both laughed, easing the tension that had been building up.

They walked back to the hall only to find Kyungsoo staring at Chanyeol, who was staring back at him, with no words exchanged.

“So, you’re back” Kyungsoo passively said. “Again”

“And you’re still here” Chanyeol answered. “Don’t you have your own place to go back to?”

“Don’t you have a hell to go back to?”

Hearing this, Chanyeol smile and raised his hand in the air which Kyungsoo met with a slam. “It’s so good to be back here” Chanyeol said.

“It’s good to have you back” Kyungsoo exclaimed, laughing.

After an hour or so, Kyungsoo decided to leave and so did Suho, saying they had things to take care of. The house was now only occupied by Chanyeol and Baekhyun.

“So you will be staying here?” Chanyeol asked after Suho and Kyungsoo left. “Until my summoner is back?”

Baekhyun was looking at the article on the fifth murder on his phone when he heard Chanyeol say that.

He looked up and kept his phone away. “You don’t remember your summoner’s name?”

Chanyeol shook his head. “I have all these memories in my mind of us talking, doing stuff but instead of a face or a figure, it’s just a dark spot” Chanyeol said, “I don’t remember anything about him”

Baekhyun’s heart ached at the thought that all he had been reduced to was a dark spot in Chanyeol’s life.

“You didn’t answer me” Chanyeol said, interrupting Baekhyun’s thoughts. “Are you going to stay here till then?”

“Can’t leave you unsupervised, can I?”

“Can I ask you something else?” Chanyeol asked and Baekhyun nodded.

“When you first came to see me, why did you say you were the one who summoned me?”

Baekhyun didn’t say anything.

“Something about you is familiar but I can’t put a finger on it. So I am just trying to figure out. Was it you who summoned me?”

“Do you want me to be the one who summoned you?” Baekhyun asked instead.

The answer that he got, was short, crisp and almost as quick- “No”

“Why?” Baekhyun asked, feeling dreadful.

Chanyeol looked straight at Baekhyun. “It’s your eyes” he says, leaving Baekhyun confused.

“My eyes?”

Chanyeol continued. “I know the look of madness when I see one. The Black Witch had it when I was summoned here. Your eyes are free from it. So yeah, I don’t want it to be you”

For a moment, Baekhyun thought Chanyeol was back, his Chanyeol.

It took a moment for Baekhyun to register what Chanyeol had just said because he was too hung up on the idea that maybe Chanyeol did remember something.

“You… you remember the Black Witch?”

“Of course” Chanyeol said. “She was the first person to summon me to earth”

If Chanyeol remembered her, there was hope that he would remember Baekhyun too.

“You two must have had a bond too, right?”

Chanyeol twitched, making Baekhyun wonder what was wrong. He knew Chanyeol hadn’t told him everything about the last time he was summoned and Baekhyun didn’t probe him, but he was desperate. Maybe something in those memories would indicate how Chanyeol could remember him again.

“So who broke the bond?”

“The bond?” Chanyeol asked. “No one did”

“But…” Baekhyun was very confused now. Was the bond never broken?

“So you willingly stayed with the Black Witch when you were last here?” Baekhyun didn’t mean to sound like a jealous boyfriend but he did.

Chanyeol shook his head. “No I was confined”

Baekhyun eyes widened in response. “Confined? How?”

“I am not aware if you know this but I can’t stay away from whoever summoned me for long because it is… painful”

Oh, Baekhyun knew. He knew so well. It was because of this that he chose to break the bond in the first place.

“The separation makes me weak” Chanyeol continued. “And the Black Witch used it to my advantage”

Everything Baekhyun heard was something Chanyeol had never said before and he knew why. It was a painful memory and the pain was evident on Chanyeol’s face.

“How did she use it against you?”

Chanyeol hesitated but for some reason, he answered. “When I first came to earth, I was treated with luxury by her. But after sometime, things changed.”

“How?”

Chanyeol shrugged. “It was like at first, she was unaware of a lot of things but one day, she took me with her on a visit to the White Witch’s place. When we returned, something had changed. That night, she vanished for a couple of hours, only to come back to find me in a state of distress. I was lying in a pool of my own blood, with lacerations all over my body and she just stood there, smiling.”

Baekhyun felt sick. So much so that he would do everything in his power to kill that Black Witch if he could.

“The only way to heal me is to offer me the summoner’s blood. A lot of it” Chanyeol continued. “But the Black Witch did no such thing. She did offer me half a glass of wine with nothing but a few drops of her blood, every day. The few drops of blood kept my wounds from bleeding but they weren’t enough to heal me”

“I guess she’d figured out a way to control me and knew that it would be easiest if I am at my weakest”

Baekhyun had many emotions coursing through his body, the most prominent of which was rage. How could anyone do this to Chanyeol?

He wanted to hold him and tell him that it was all in the past now. Now he had Baekhyun to watch over him but he couldn’t.

“How did you go back to hell?”

Chanyeol shrugged. “I was not myself by then. I was already being used to bring terror upon those who didn’t follow the Black Witch. So I don’t remember anything”

“You said it’s easier to control you when you’re weak, what does that mean?”

Chanyeol let out a deep breath and Chanyeol ran his hand through his hair. Baekhyun noted the cuff marks on his wrists and how they had reddened.

“I am vulnerable when I am weak. Which mean, spells work easily, I am controlled easily and I can be tamed easily, but only by my summoner. This I why all the Black Witch needed to tame me was a spell. But this time around, the summoner broke the bond I had with him and so, I am not weak anymore. This is why the killer is killing all these people. He’s trying to create a new bond so he can tame me”

“So the killings are not just for taming you?”

Chanyeol shook his head. “If my bond with the summoner still existed, the murders would be three time in number- 3 sacrifices for each sin. He’d first have to break the bond I have with my summoner, and then create the bond between me and him to be able to use the spell to tame me”

All of this was too overwhelming for Baekhyun. Until now, he’d though that breaking the bond was perhaps a mistake. But after finding out that three time the number of people would have died for it, he believed he made the right decision.

Baekhyun was trying to figure it all out in his mind. The Black Witch knew of the bond, all she needed was to tame Chanyeol.

“Once the bond is created, you can be tamed?”

“Not quite” Chanyeol said and Baekhyun waited for him to continue.

“You see, with the summoner, the bond is natural, but for anyone else, whose trying to force the bond to tame me, there are some conditions”

“What conditions”

“First, he or she should have magic in their blood, second, if the original bond is broken, then he or she needs to make 9 sacrifices, one for each sin and finally, a willing sacrifice for them to tame me”

Baekhyun didn’t quite understand. “What is a willing sacrifice?”

“A person who’s ready to die willingly so that the tamer can tame the Devil”

“What the fuck?” Baekhyun asked, surprised by what he had just heard. “Why would anyone willingly sacrifice themselves?”

“Let’s hope this killer doesn’t find any, because if he does, this world is wrecked”

Even though not quite the same, but things were still happening like the last time around. Someone was still trying to control Chanyeol and they had already committed four murders. Baekhyun knew the logic and evidences were pointing towards Kai but something kept telling that it was not him. He knew the man, and he knew Kai was not capable of something so bad.

Maybe it was a good thing Chanyeol forgot Baekhyun. Maybe this was necessary to help him go back because he knew Chanyeol would resists leaving earth and being away from Baekhyun if he still remembered him.

“You want to go back to hell, don’t you?” Baekhyun asked the dreaded question.

Chanyeol nodded. “I have to go back before the killer finds its willing sacrifice. Because once I am tamed, only he would be able to send me back, and it would be impossible”

Baekhyun closed his eyes for a moment, thinking. “It can’t be impossible” he said, “You were sent back in the 6th Century even after you were controlled”

“Yeah” Chanyeol replied. “But no one knows how that happened. After I am tamed, it would be near impossible to send me back. But before that, all you have to do is perform a spell and that will be it”

“Wait” Baekhyun said, “What spell?” He had never heard Chanyeol mention any spell that could send him back.

“I don’t know what it is. All I know is that there is a spell out there that can easily send me back before I am tamed”

How had Chanyeol never told Baekhyun of this before. But maybe he had. “Is that where Sehun is?” Baekhyun asked. “Trying to find that spell?”

“You… you know Sehun?” Chanyeol asked. “For someone who hasn’t summoned me or has anything to do with me, you really know a lot”

Baekhyun was too occupied by the thought of the spell to reply to Chanyeol.

“This spell” Baekhyun asked, “Who has to perform it?”

“The summoner”

“And it will simply send you back?”

Chanyeol shook his head and laughed. “No” he said. “It’s not exactly that spell”

“Then what it is?”

Chanyeol sighed. “There is a reason this spell is difficult to find”

“Why is that?” Baekhyun asked.

Chanyeol leaned in. “Because it is not simply a banishing spell. It is the spell to summon the one entity that put me in hell in the first place”

It took Baekhyun a second to understand what Chanyeol meant. When he did, a gasp escaped his lips.

“It’s a spell to summon God?”

Chanyeol crossed his arms and leaned on the couch. “That’s right. It’s a spell to summon God!”

Baekhyun was still finding it difficult to wrap his head around the idea that God was the final resort that could take Chanyeol back to Hell. And that needed to happen before Chanyeol was successfully tamed by the whoever was trying to control him. It didn’t take long for him to connect the dots and realize that if Chanyeol _did_ get controlled, maybe even God wouldn’t be able to help him.

But he couldn’t help but wonder what it was that sent him back the first time around.

He was still lost in his thoughts when Chanyeol interrupted him.

“How come I don’t remember you?”

This took Baekhyun by surprise. “What do you mean?”

“I remember Kyungsoo and Suho and everyone else, but I have never seen you before.”

“I…” Baekhyun had no idea how to answer this. “I was away for a while. I just came back and was asked to look after you as a favor”

“So you’re friends with my summoner?”

Baekhyun nodded. He had no idea how much more he’d have to lie.

“Can you tell me his name please?” Chanyeol asked. “That’s all I want to know”

There was a hesitation on Baekhyun’s end. What was he supposed to say? He couldn’t just use anyone’s name randomly. But did he have any other choice?

“Kyoong” Baekhyun said. “His name is Kyoong”

It wasn’t technically a lie. Kyoong was what his mother used to call him sometimes.

“Kyoong” Chanyeol repeated and Baekhyun felt a tingle inside of himself. It had been years since someone had called him by than name. And hearing it from Chanyeol, was a weirdly pleasant feeling.

“You should take a bath and get changed” Baekhyun said. “I have to go to the office”

“Where do you work?”

“PreCorY…” Baekhyun said but stopped. “PCY” he said instead. “I work at PCY”

“What’s PCY?”

“It’s a company that deals with softwares”

“Kyoong owns a software company too”

Baekhyun smiled. He was glad that even if Chanyeol didn’t remember him, he did remember the things about him.

Once Chanyeol had gone upstairs to take a bath and change, Baekhyun rushed to the kitchen to summon Sehun. He had to figure out a way to send Chanyeol back before he could be tamed and more people were killed. He had to figure out a way to bring his memories back before he left for hell. He would do whatever it takes to end the torture Chanyeol was in. Desperate to find a way out, Baekhyun picked up the knife and sliced it through his palm, calling out Sehun’s name.

He waited.

And then he waited some more.

But nothing happened.

Sehun did not appear.

Not willing to give up, Baekhyun picked the knife up with his hurt hand and sliced open the other one, calling Sehun’s name again.

But this time too, there was no response.

The pain building up from the open wounds was making Baekhyun dizzy. In just a few seconds, Baekhyun lost a lot of blood that ran down to the floor and covered the white surface.

Baekhyun fought back.

He was not ready to pass out yet. Not until Sehun appeared.

“Sehun” Baekhyun cried once more, weakness engulfing him entirely.

“Sehun, please hear me”

The room had started to zoom out of his focus. He saw patches of darkness which he tried to fight by shaking his head. But it was becoming overwhelming now. Baekhyun did not have it in him to hold out much longer.

Just before he was about to collapse to the floor, Baekhyun called Sehun’s name once more. And this time, instead of being taken over my darkness, Baekhyun saw flashes of a place he had once seen before.

The place engulfed in flames, the voices of people crying, the smell of something sinister, all hit him at once.

Before Baekhyun passed out, he knew what he had seen. In an attempt to find Sehun, Baekhyun had just peeked into hell, the place Chanyeol had shown him once.

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on other platforms if you want  
> [Twitter ](https://www.twitter.com/StarsOfCosmos)  
> [Youtube ](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Va8jttSMhdbHmIyslCjLg/videos)  
> 


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